Sample News Group was founded by George Raymond Sample, Jr. (1924–2008). Sample was married to a woman named Janet. As of October 2022, George "Scoop" Sample (; born 1952), one of eight children of George Sample Jr., is the CEO. Scoop's hometown is
Corry, Pennsylvania. The group is also actively managed by Scoop's wife, Marlene Sample (
aka "Sissie" Kane; ; born 1951). The family of
Joseph Franklin Biddle sold the Joseph F. Biddle Publishing Company to Sample in October 1991; the deal included
Huntingdon's
Daily News, as well as three other publications. In 2018, Sample purchased
The Times Record and the
Journal Tribune from
Reade Brower. That same year, Sample acquired two dailies in Vermont, sister papers
Rutland Herald and
The Times Argus, purchasing them from Vermont Community Media, a company partially owned by Brower. Two other weeklies and some websites were also included in the sale. Brower's company had acquired the two dailies as well as the
Rutland Reader and the
Central Vermont Reader in 2016; they are now both owned by Sample. Also in 2018, Sample sold its
Chester, Vermont paper
The Message for the Week to KMA Publishing, who ended its publication. In early 2022, the group announced they had introduced a new publisher and a new VP of digital development to serve its holdings in southwestern Pennsylvania. later in 2022, the
Titusville News-Journal was started by Sample. The
Batavia Daily News and
Livingston County News of
Livingston County, New York and
Genesee County, New York were purchased in 2023, from the
Watertown, New York–based Johnson Newspaper Corporation. In November 2024, the company acquired
Bee Group Newspapers from the Measer family. In May 2025, the company acquired the assets of the defunct
Cortland Standard and announced plans to relaunch the paper. In July 2025, Sample purchased
Eagle News Group, and
The Fulton County News in September 2025. == Publications ==