The San Francisco Examiner
For 35 years starting in 1965, the "San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner" operated under a Joint Operating Agreement whereby the "Chronicle" published a morning paper and the "Examiner" published in the afternoon. The "Examiner" published the Sunday paper's news sections and glossy magazine, and the "Chronicle" contributed the features. Circulation was approximately 100,000 on weekdays and 500,000 on Sundays. By 1995, discussion was already brewing in print media about the possible shuttering of the "Examiner" due to low circulation and an extremely disadvantageous revenue sharing agreement for the "Chronicle".
The Mercury News
The newspaper now known as the "Mercury News" began in 1851 or 1852. California legislators had just moved the state capital from San Jose to Vallejo, leading to the failure of San Jose's first two newspapers, the "Argus" and "State Journal". A group of three businessmen led by John C. Emerson bought the papers' presses to found the "San Jose Weekly Visitor". The "Weekly Visitor" began as a Whig paper but quickly switched its affiliation to the Democratic Party. It was renamed the "Santa Clara Register" in 1852. The following year, F. B. Murdoch took over the paper, merging it into the "San Jose Telegraph". W. A. Slocum assumed control of the "Telegraph" in 1860 and merged it with the "San Jose Mercury" or "Weekly Mercury" to become the "Telegraph and Mercury". William N. Slocum soon dropped "Telegraph" from the name. By this point, the "Mercury" was one of two newspapers publishing in San Jose.