[1] Written Communication was established in October 1984 with Stephen P. Witte and John Daly as its founding editors.

[2] While Daly ceased working with the publication in 1989,[3] Witte remained chief editor until his death in 2004.

[4][5] Following Daly's departure, Witte worked alongside others at different periods of the journal's history, including Roger D. Cherry and Keith Walters of Ohio State University and Deborah Brandt and Martin Nystrand of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

[6][7][8] Following Witte's death from glioblastoma multiforme, his surviving wife, Christina Haas of the University of Minnesota, took over the editorship of the journal.

[9][6] Chad Wickman of Auburn University served as the editor-in-chief from 2017 to the end of 2022; the last issue he oversaw was published in March 2023.