In the 1850s, the paper was developed into a leading Democratic PartyвЂ“aligned publication under the ownership of Wilbur F. Sheldon McKnight became the first publisher with his uncle John Pitts Sheldon as the editor. The first issues were 14 by 20 inches (360В mm Г—В 510В mm) in size, with five columns of type. The hand-operated press required two men and could produce 250 pages per hour. It was hauled from Pontiac in a wagon over rough roads to a building at Bates and Woodbridge streets in Detroit. Williams printed the first issues on a Washington press he purchased from the discontinued Oakland Chronicle of Pontiac. It was renamed to Detroit Daily Free Press in 1835, becoming the region's first daily newspaper. Williams and his uncle, Joseph Campau, and was first published as the Democratic Free Press and Michigan Intelligencer on May 5, 1831. History 1831вЂ“1989: Competitive newspaper 1.2 1989вЂ“present: Joint operating agreement.In 2018, the Detroit Free Press received two Salute to Excellence awards from the National Association of Black Journalists. The Free Press has received ten Pulitzer Prizes and four Emmy Awards. The Free Press is also the largest city newspaper owned by Gannett, which also publishes USA Today. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, It primarily serves Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe counties. The Sunday edition is titled the Sunday Free Press. The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. вЂ‹In 2001, she organized and led the first all-women ski expedition to the reach the North Pole as a team.The September 11, 2011, front page of the Detroit Free Press, with Eric Millikin art and Mitch Albom column about the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Carter is a member of the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. вЂ‹Her awards include three Emmys and the UPI Sports Broadcaster of the Year for reporting on the Detroit Free Press International Marathon while running it. Ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church, she is a graduate of the General Theological Seminary (MDiv) with a DMin from Seabury- Western Theological Seminary. вЂ‹Her BA in Humanities is from Michigan State University, and she earned a JD and MA (History) from Wayne State University. вЂ‹Carter served as Secretary of the Board of Trustees and Executive Assistant to Michigan State Presidents Peter McPherson and Lou Anna Simon as well as Press Secretary to Michigan Governor James Blanchard. Before coming to MSU, she taught journalism at Wayne State University in Detroit. She joined the faculty in 1991 after a 17-year career as a news broadcaster and talk show host at radio and television stations in Michigan, Connecticut, and Ontario, Canada. Sue Carter is a professor in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University. Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab.Expand Pre-college Programs sub-menu Pre-college Programs.Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.Spartan Newsroom and Immersive Media Studio.Expand Student Experience sub-menu Student Experience.