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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                  ------------
                                   FORM 10-K/A

                  FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS PURSUANT TO
           SECTIONS 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(MARK ONE)
           |X| AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
               OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                   For the fiscal year ended December 30, 2001

           |_| TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
               SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                         Commission File Number: 1-12955

                            JOURNAL REGISTER COMPANY
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)

         DELAWARE                                       22-3498615
(STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION OF             (I.R.S. EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NO.)
 INCORPORATION OR ORGANIZATION)

                              50 WEST STATE STREET
                         TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08608-1298
          (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES, INCLUDING ZIP CODE)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (609) 396-2200

           SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(B) OF THE ACT:

                                                         NAME OF EACH EXCHANGE
         TITLE OF EACH CLASS                             ON WHICH REGISTERED
         -------------------                             -------------------
         Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share         New York Stock Exchange

        SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(G) OF THE ACT: None

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports
required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such
filing requirements for the past 90 days. [X] Yes [ ] No

     Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item
405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the
best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements
incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this
Form 10-K [X].

     The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of
the registrant as of March 27, 2002, was approximately $684,511,028.

     As of March 27, 2002, 41,541,448 shares of the registrant's Common Stock,
par value $0.01 per share, were outstanding (excluding treasury shares).

     DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. The information called for by Part III
is incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for the Company's
2002 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed on or before April 30,
2002.

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<PAGE>

                              EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

         This Amendment No. 1 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the fiscal year ended December 30, 2001 (the "Form 10-K") is being filed for the
purpose of correcting two typographical errors. The two typographical errors,
both included in Item 6, are (i) total operating expenses for the year ended
December 30, 2001, currently provided as "$305,804," should be replaced by
"$305,864" and (ii) "Equity interest" for the year ended December 31, 2000,
currently provided as "$(1,625)," should be replaced by "$(1,624)." No other
changes are being made by means of this filing.

         The Company hereby amends Item 6 of the Form 10-K as follows:

ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.

         The following selected financial data (except number of newspapers) has
been derived from the audited financial statements of the Company and should be
read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations" and the Consolidated Financial Statements
and notes thereto included elsewhere in this report:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              YEAR ENDED     YEAR ENDED    YEAR ENDED               YEAR ENDED
                                                             DECEMBER 30,   DECEMBER 31,  DECEMBER 26,             DECEMBER 31,
                                                                                                         ---------------------------
                                                                 2001         2000(1)        1999(2)          1998          1997
                                                             -----------    -----------   -----------    ------------   ------------
                                                           (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts and number of newspapers)
STATEMENT OF INCOME DATA:
Revenues:
<S>                                                         <C>           <C>            <C>            <C>              <C>
      Advertising........................................   $ 287,859     $  343,130     $  348,995     $   312,908      $ 266,914
      Circulation........................................      87,737         96,852         96,783          89,388         80,211
                                                             --------       --------       --------       ---------       --------
Newspaper revenues.......................................     375,596        439,982        445,778         402,296        347,125
Commercial printing and other............................      18,809         23,987         23,787          24,484         12,282
                                                             --------       --------       --------       ---------       --------
                                                              394,405        463,969        469,565         426,780        359,407
Operating expenses:
      Salaries and employee benefits.....................     140,522        155,161        157,110         139,216        114,302
      Newsprint, ink and printing charges................      37,741         46,533         48,432          53,594         40,452
      Selling, general and administrative................      47,810         47,008         45,318          39,047         30,450
      Depreciation and amortization......................      26,317         27,616         28,798          23,844         20,480
      Other..............................................      53,474         58,395         57,975          52,012         40,783
      Special charge(3)..................................           -              -              -               -         31,899
                                                             --------       --------       --------       ---------       --------
                                                              305,864        334,713        337,663         307,713        278,366
                                                             --------       --------       --------       ---------       --------
Operating income.........................................      88,541        129,256        131,932         119,067         81,041
Net interest and other expense...........................     (30,490)       (48,020)       (52,347)        (45,321)       (42,288)
Gain on sale of newspaper properties.....................      32,212        180,720              -               -              -
                                                             --------       --------       --------       ---------       --------
Income before provision for income taxes,
      equity interest and extraordinary item.............      90,263        261,956         79,585          73,746         38,753
Provision for income taxes...............................      10,818         90,951         31,694          28,112         15,784
                                                             --------       --------       --------       ---------       --------
Income before extraordinary item
      and equity interest................................      79,445        171,005         47,891          45,634         22,969
Equity interest..........................................      (1,313)        (1,624)          (226)              -              -
                                                             --------       --------       --------       ---------       --------
Income before extraordinary item.........................      78,132        169,381         47,665          45,634         22,969
Extraordinary item (4)...................................           -              -              -          (4,495)             -
                                                             --------       --------       --------       ---------       --------
Net income...............................................   $  78,132     $  169,381     $   47,665     $    41,139      $  22,969
                                                             ========       ========       ========       =========       ========
Income before extraordinary item per common share:
      Basic..............................................   $    1.85     $     3.74     $     1.02     $      0.94      $    0.51
      Diluted............................................   $    1.83     $     3.72     $     1.02     $      0.94      $    0.51
Net income per common share:
      Basic..............................................   $    1.85     $     3.74     $     1.02     $      0.85      $    0.51
      Diluted............................................   $    1.83     $     3.72     $     1.02     $      0.85      $    0.51
</TABLE>

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<PAGE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              YEAR ENDED     YEAR ENDED    YEAR ENDED               YEAR ENDED
                                                             DECEMBER 30,   DECEMBER 31,  DECEMBER 26,             DECEMBER 31,
                                                                                                         ---------------------------
                                                                 2001         2000(1)        1999(2)          1998          1997
                                                             -----------    -----------   -----------    ------------   ------------
                                                           (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts and number of newspapers)
OTHER DATA:
<S>                                                         <C>           <C>            <C>            <C>              <C>
EBITDA(5)(6).............................................   $ 114,858     $  156,871     $  160,730     $   146,706      $ 133,420
EBITDA Margin(5)(6)......................................        29.1%          33.8%          34.2%           34.4%          37.1%
Tangible net income, as adjusted(5)(6)...................   $  46,641     $   60,960     $   58,887     $    55,537      $  46,042
Tangible net income, as adjusted, per common share(5)(6).   $    1.09     $     1.34     $     1.26     $      1.14      $    1.02

Capital expenditures(7)..................................   $  34,929     $   21,550     $   18,081     $    14,353      $   9,727
Net cash provided by (used in):
      Operating activities...............................   $  77,666     $   62,915     $   90,595     $    80,344      $  66,030
      Investing activities...............................   $ (58,107)    $  195,206     $  (32,727)    $  (354,213)     $ (19,447)
      Financing activities...............................   $ (25,944)    $ (254,716)    $  (63,320)    $   274,228      $ (46,946)
Number of newspapers, end of period:
      Daily..............................................          23             24             25              24             18
      Non-Daily..........................................         206            158            200             185            141

BALANCE SHEET DATA:
Total current assets.....................................   $  66,573     $   79,359     $   88,397     $    81,878      $  77,833
Property, plant and equipment, net.......................     124,440        104,178        107,522          99,978         92,620
Total assets.............................................     711,171        657,350        687,180         671,869        327,931
Total current liabilities, less current maturities of
      long-term debt.....................................      62,877         51,542         53,380          50,124         39,034
Total debt, including current maturities.................     522,771        494,635        731,467         765,000        490,774
Stockholders' deficit....................................     (36,198)       (55,726)      (207,383)       (225,313)      (266,242)
</TABLE>
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(1)   The Company's fiscal year ends on the nearest Sunday to the end of the
      calendar year, consequently, the Company's fiscal year ended December 31,
      2000 consisted of 53 weeks.

(2)   In 1999, the Company changed its fiscal year from a calendar year to a
      52/53 week fiscal year ending on the nearest Sunday to the end of the
      calendar year.

(3)   The 1997 special charge of $31.9 million (before benefit for income taxes
      of $13.0 million) was incurred in connection with the Company's initial
      public offering and was comprised of a $28.4 million management bonus and
      $3.5 million for the discontinuance of a management incentive plan. The
      management bonus was comprised of 1.1 million shares of Common Stock and a
      cash portion to satisfy the recipients' tax obligations arising from the
      management bonus.

(4)   The 1998 extraordinary item represents a charge of $4.5 million (net of
      tax) related to the early extinguishment of debt in connection with the
      prior credit agreement.

(5)   The 1998 data excludes the effects of special charges ($3.8 million,
      before tax benefit, $3.2 million of which was recorded in selling, general
      and administrative, and approximately $630,000 in other expenses) related
      to the cancellation of the Company's convertible debt offering, the
      integration of the acquired assets of the Goodson Newspaper Group, and an
      increase to certain receivable reserves and the extraordinary item ($4.5
      million, net of tax) discussed in Note (4) above. The 1997 data excludes
      the effect of the special charge of $31.9 million (before benefit for
      income taxes of $13.0 million) as discussed above in Note (3).

(6)   EBITDA is defined by the Company as operating income (loss) plus
      depreciation, amortization and other non-cash, special or non-recurring
      charges. Tangible net income is defined as net income, excluding equity
      interest, plus after-tax amortization. EBITDA and tangible net income are
      not intended to represent cash flow from operations and should not be
      considered as alternatives to operating or net income computed in
      accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United
      States ("GAAP") as indicators of the Company's

                                       2

<PAGE>

      operating performance, as alternatives to cash from operating activities
      (as determined in accordance with GAAP) or as measures of liquidity.

      The Company believes that EBITDA is a standard measure commonly reported
      and widely used by analysts, investors and other interested parties in the
      media industry. Accordingly, this information has been disclosed herein to
      permit a more complete comparative analysis of the Company's operating
      performance relative to other companies in the industry. However, not all
      companies calculate EBITDA and tangible net income using the same methods;
      therefore, the EBITDA and tangible net income figures set forth above may
      not be comparable to EBITDA and tangible net income reported by other
      companies. Certain covenants contained in the Company's Credit Agreement
      are based upon EBITDA. See "Management's Discussion and Analysis of
      Financial Condition and Results of Operations." Tangible net income per
      share is calculated using the weighted-average shares outstanding on a
      diluted basis.

(7)   Capital expenditures, excluding capitalized interest, associated with the
      Company's new Philadelphia printing facility (Journal Register Offset)
      were $22.8, $10.8 and $1.8 million in fiscal years 2001, 2000 and 1999,
      respectively. Capitalized interest associated with Journal Register Offset
      was $1.3 million and $601,000 in fiscal years 2001 and 2000, respectively.
      The plant began operating in December 2001.


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<PAGE>




                                    SIGNATURE

         Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on the 4th day of
April 2002.

                            JOURNAL REGISTER COMPANY


                        By:/S/ JEAN B. CLIFTON
                           -----------------------------------------------------
                           Jean B. Clifton
                           Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and
                           Secretary


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