If you’ve lived in North Jersey for more than five minutes, you probably know The Record. Or maybe you call it the "Bergen Record." Or perhaps you just go to NorthJersey.com. Honestly, the name depends on whether you still like the smell of newsprint or if you’ve fully committed to the digital scroll.
Local news is in a weird spot.
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You’ve seen the headlines about "news deserts" and hedge funds buying up every paper in sight. It’s scary. But Bergen Record NJ news remains a weirdly resilient beast in a state that usually gets overshadowed by the giants in Philly and NYC. It’s the paper that dog-walked the "Bridgegate" scandal into the national spotlight. It’s the outlet that knows exactly why your property taxes just went up another 3% while the mayor is on vacation.
From the Borg Family to Gannett: What Changed?
For 86 years, the Borg family owned the shop. It was personal. They were based out of Hackensack, then moved to a big, glassy building in Woodland Park. When Gannett—the same company that owns USA Today—bought North Jersey Media Group in 2016, a lot of people panicked. They thought the local soul would be sucked out and replaced by generic corporate "content."
Has that happened? Sorta.
The newsroom isn't as massive as it was in the '90s. That’s just the reality of 2026. You’ll see more shared stories from across the Gannett network now. However, the core investigative team at the Bergen Record NJ news desk still hits hard on the stuff that actually affects your life in Paramus or Teaneck.
The Digital Shift and NorthJersey.com
Basically, if you look for The Record online, you’re going to end up at NorthJersey.com. They are the same thing. The branding is a bit confusing because "The Record" is the print product, while the website covers a broader swath of the region.
- The Paywall: Yeah, it’s there. You get a few freebies, and then they ask for your credit card.
- The App: It's actually decent for breaking news alerts.
- The Content: It’s a mix of "Oh my god, a bear is in someone's pool in Mahwah" and serious deep dives into NJ Transit's latest meltdown.
Why You Should Actually Care About Bergen Record NJ News
Most people get their news from Twitter (or X, whatever) or Facebook groups. That’s a mistake. Your local Facebook group is mostly people complaining about loud mufflers or asking for plumber recommendations.
The Bergen Record NJ news team does the boring, expensive work that nobody else wants to do. They sit through five-hour town council meetings. They file OPRA (Open Public Records Act) requests to see where your tax dollars are actually going.
Remember the Paramus Veterans Home? During the pandemic, the reporting there was brutal but necessary. Scott Fallon and the investigative team revealed one of the highest death rates in the country at a veterans facility. That’s not "clickbait." That’s actual journalism that forced state-level changes.
High School Sports: The Secret Sauce
If you want to know why people still subscribe, look at the sports section. North Jersey is obsessed with high school football, wrestling, and soccer. The Record covers these kids like they’re the Giants or the Jets. For many families, seeing their kid’s name in a "Bergen Record NJ news" sports recap is a rite of passage.
The Reality of Local Media in 2026
The circulation numbers aren't what they used to be. According to recent data, the daily print circulation has dipped significantly over the last decade, sitting somewhere around 14,000 for the physical paper as of late 2024. But digital is where the fight is.
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The "Friend of the People It Serves" slogan still hangs around, but the relationship is different now. It’s more transactional. You pay for the "eNewspaper" (which is just a PDF of the print version) or you pay for the digital-only access.
One thing that’s definitely annoying? The ads. The website can feel like a minefield of pop-ups and auto-play videos if you don't have a subscription or a very strong ad-blocker. It’s the price of keeping the lights on in a world where Google and Meta took all the advertising revenue.
Misconceptions About the Paper
- "It’s too biased": People on the right say it’s too liberal; people on the left say it’s too corporate. Usually, that means they’re doing something right.
- "It’s dead": It’s not. It’s just smaller. The Hackensack office is gone, but the reporters are still out there in their Subarus, driving to crime scenes and school board meetings.
- "Everything is behind a paywall": Not everything. Major public safety alerts and some community news stay free, but the "good stuff"—the investigations—requires a sub.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Subscription
If you’re going to give them your money, don't just read the front page.
- Sign up for the newsletters: They have specific ones for things like the "North Jersey Eats" (food) and "The 201" (lifestyle). It’s an easier way to digest the news than digging through the website.
- Use the eNewspaper: If you miss the "experience" of reading a paper, the eNewspaper digital replica is surprisingly smooth on a tablet. You can flip the pages like it's 1995.
- Follow individual reporters: Reporters like Jean Rimbach or Scott Fallon often post updates on social media before the stories even hit the site.
The Bergen Record NJ news ecosystem is still the most reliable way to know what’s happening in the most densely populated corner of the state. It isn't perfect, and the corporate ownership can feel cold sometimes, but without it, who’s watching the people in charge?
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To keep up with the latest happenings in your backyard, you should bookmark the NorthJersey.com "Local" tab specifically for your town. This filters out the statewide noise and focuses on the zoning boards and local events that actually impact your Saturday morning. If you're looking for deep investigative pieces, check the "Watchdog" section once a week; it’s where the high-impact journalism lives.