If you grew up in North Jersey, the blue and white "The Record" logo was basically a permanent fixture on every driveway from Mahwah to Fort Lee. It was the paper that caught the local council scandals, the high school football scores, and the yard sale listings. But honestly, if you’ve picked up a physical copy lately, you've probably noticed it feels a bit... thinner.
The Bergen Record newspaper New Jersey isn't just a paper anymore; it’s a case study in how local news survives (or struggles) in 2026. After decades of being the scrappy, family-owned underdog that punched way above its weight class, it’s now a key piece of the massive Gannett media machine. And while the delivery trucks still roll out every morning, the "Record" you know is fundamentally different than it was even five years ago.
The Borg Era vs. the Gannett Reality
For about 86 years, the Borg family ran the show. They were the local kings of media. They didn't just own a newspaper; they owned a North Jersey institution. When Gannett bought the paper (and its sister publications under the North Jersey Media Group banner) back in 2016, it was the end of an era. People were worried.
Why? Because the Borgs lived here. They knew the nuances of Bergen County politics. Gannett, based out of Virginia, is a corporate giant.
Today, the Bergen Record newspaper New Jersey is part of the USA Today Network. This means you get a lot of high-quality national reporting, but the "hyper-local" flavor has shifted. You’ll see stories from the Asbury Park Press or even papers in Florida popping up on the website because they’re all under the same umbrella. It’s efficient, sure, but for the reader who just wants to know why the Paramus road construction is taking three years, it can feel a little diluted.
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Why the Print Edition is Shrinking (Literally)
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Print circulation is down. Way down.
Recent reports show that the weekday print circulation for The Record has plummeted over 80% since the Gannett takeover. We’re talking about a drop from over 130,000 daily readers to somewhere in the 20,000 range. That’s not a dip; that’s a cliff.
But here is what most people get wrong: The Record isn't "dying." It's just moving house.
The focus now is almost entirely on NorthJersey.com. That is the digital heart of the operation. If you want the real-time updates on a fire in Hackensack or the latest Bergen County Courthouse drama, you aren't waiting for the morning paper. You're hitting the site.
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The Digital Paywall Struggle
If you’ve tried to read an article lately, you've probably hit the "subscriber only" wall. Honestly, it’s annoying. We all want free info. But here’s the reality: local journalism is expensive. Those investigative pieces—like the ones The Record did on the NJ nursing home crisis or the Lodi explosion years ago—take months of work. Without those digital subscriptions, those reporters basically can't eat.
Who is Still Running the Show?
The masthead has seen some serious turnover recently. For a long time, Daniel Sforza was the face of the editorial side, having been there for over 30 years. But as of late 2025/early 2026, the leadership has been in a state of flux. Sforza’s departure signaled a massive shift in how the paper approaches its "State Editor" roles.
Despite the corporate overhead, there is still a core group of NJ-based reporters who are incredibly dedicated. They aren't writing from Virginia; they are sitting in the same traffic on Route 17 that you are.
Key Areas They Still Dominate:
- High School Sports: Nobody covers North Jersey sports like they do. If your kid is a star athlete, they’re looking for their name in The Record.
- Property Taxes: A perennial Bergen County obsession. The Record’s data-driven pieces on where your tax dollars go are still the gold standard.
- Local Corruption: They still have a bite. They regularly win New Jersey Press Association awards for investigative reporting that holds local mayors and school boards accountable.
The Woodland Park Move
The paper doesn't live in Hackensack anymore. They moved the headquarters to Woodland Park (basically on the border of Passaic and Bergen) years ago to centralize things with the Herald News.
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This was a cost-saving move, but it also changed the vibe. Hackensack was the heart of Bergen. Moving out felt, to some locals, like the paper was distancing itself from its namesake county. However, in a world where most reporters work from their laptops in coffee shops or home offices, the physical building matters less than the "boots on the ground."
Is It Still Worth Your Money?
If you live in Bergen, Passaic, or Morris, you're basically choosing between the Bergen Record newspaper New Jersey (NorthJersey.com) and the Star-Ledger (NJ.com).
The Record still feels more "Bergen." It captures that specific mix of suburban sprawl and high-intensity politics that defines the region. If you care about local school board elections or the "Blue Laws" in Paramus, you won't find better coverage elsewhere.
How to Get the Most Out of The Record Today
Stop looking for the physical paper at the Wawa. If you want the value, you have to go digital.
- Use the App: The NorthJersey.com app is actually pretty decent. It lets you set alerts for specific towns. If you live in Teaneck, you can get pinged only when Teaneck news breaks.
- Newsletter Sign-ups: They have a "Daily Briefing" email. It’s the best way to scan the headlines without having to navigate the ad-heavy homepage.
- Support Local Investigators: If you see a "Premium" story, it’s usually the investigative stuff. That's the material that actually changes local laws.
The Bergen Record newspaper New Jersey might be smaller, and it might be owned by a giant corporation, but it remains the primary record (pun intended) of life in one of the most populated counties in America.
What You Should Do Next
If you're a long-time reader who canceled because the print paper got too thin, give the digital subscription a try for a month. Most of the "real" reporting has migrated there. Also, make it a habit to check the "Public Notices" section on their site—it’s where the boring but important stuff like zoning changes and tax hikes are hidden. Staying informed is the only way to keep your local government honest.