The Chief has served the people of northern Columbia County and eastern Clatsop County for over a century. From 1922 to 2014 it was owned and operated by four generations of the Steele family. In 2014, Portland-based Country Media purchased the publication from the Steele family. Country Media owns newspapers in Manzanita, Tillamook, Lincoln City and St. Helens. The Chief is rich in goodwill and loyalty among its readers, as demonstrated by numerous local and statewide awards.