By: Johnstown's newspaper has been officially called The Tribune-Democrat for decades, but that name could be trimmed to simply The Tribune as part of a new design being introduced next week.
Some readers and employees object to dropping the word "Democrat" from the masthead, saying the possible change smacks of politics, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Sunday.
In a recent internal memo, publisher Chris Voccio listed several reasons for changing the name, including an effort to avoid any appearance of political party affiliation.
There has been confusion over the paper's name for years, with many people calling it The Tribune out of habit or as a kind of shorthand, he said.
The official name of the newspaper has been The Tribune-Democrat since 1952, when the afternoon Tribune merged with the morning Democrat. The two papers were previously competitors.
Voccio downplayed the name change Friday, saying it was "really not a political thing," and that the paper would be returning to its "ancestral name" by dropping the word "Democrat."
A decision about the name will be made this week. The new design is scheduled to be unveiled next Sunday.
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