The Lincoln Journal Star is the result of a 1995 merger between the city's two historic longtime daily newspapers.
[3] As such, Gere became an important voice in the nascent state capital town of Lincoln, and the Nebraska Commonwealth became its first newspaper.
In 1869, two years after moving the Commonwealth to Lincoln, Gere changed the name of the publication to the Nebraska State Journal.
[3][5] As his publication grew, Gere later retired from practicing law to take a more active part of his newspaper publishing work.
[3] Having served in the first election Nebraska governor's administration, the state's organizing constitutional convention, the old upper legislative chamber of the State Senate, the education commission, the committee on railroads, and the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, all were part of publisher / editor Gere's long history of involvement in local politics, civic, and educational affairs with strongly-held views impacted the editorial tone and columns of the Lincoln paper.
[4] However, financial realities forced greater cooperation between the Journal and Star on the business / printing and circulation side.
[4] By 1995, it was obvious that the state capital town of Lincoln could no longer support two separate independent newspapers financially or in face of declining circulation.