Northeast Press was founded in 1849 and has a powerful portfolio of 21 regional and local newspapers - incorporating paid-for daily titles; paid-for weeklies and top quality, editorially-led free newspapers.

Northeast Press is now owned by Johnston Press, the nation's second largest regional publisher.

Prior to the JP takeover in 1999, Northeast Press was a division of Portsmouth and Sunderland Newspapers. P&SN was founded by Sir Samuel Storey who launched the Sunderland Echo in 1873. The Hartlepool Mail was added to the stable in 1877. The company's third daily title, the Shields Gazette, was bought by P&SN in 1992. The Gazette is the UK's oldest provincial evening newspaper and was first published in 1849.

Northeast Press currently publish:

Paid-for evening titles - Sunderland Echo (0191 5015800), Hartlepool Mail (01429 239333), Shields Gazette (0191 4274800)
Paid-for weekly titles - Northumberland Gazette (01665 602234) and Morpeth Herald (01670 517171)
Free newspapers: Newspost Leader, News Guardian (0191 2518484) and the Star series of free papers, extending from South Shields to Hartlepool (0191 5015800).

Other Johnston Press titles include The Scotsman, The Yorkshire Post and the Edinburgh Evening News.