The Traverse City Record-Eagle is a daily morning newspaper that circulates in 13 counties in northwest Lower Michigan. Its circulation is more than 29,000 Monday through Saturday. The Record-Eagle also publishes a variety of other publications including the community weekly Grand Traverse Herald, the monthly tabloid Active Years for seniors, a monthly real estate guide, and many specialty sections throughout the year. The Grand Traverse region is an area of deep green woods, sparkling blue-green lakes, miles of sandy Lake Michigan shoreline and thriving communities that base their economies on a mixture of tourism, service and industry.
Tourism is an important part of the local economy.
People come to the area in the summer to enjoy the woods and beaches, in fall for color foliage tours and deer hunting, in winter for downhill and cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, and in spring for morel mushroom hunting. The region's attractions include Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Interlochen Center for the Arts, several lighthouses and the Manitou Passage Underwater Preserve. People flock to the area's many ski areas, golf courses, tall sailing ships and hiking trails. Automotive-related manufacturing contributes heavily to the area's economy, as do production of cherries, apples, frozen foods, wine and plastic products. The Record-Eagle is owned by Ottaway Newspapers Inc. , a group of 19 daily and 17 weekly newspapers in 12 states.