In 1934, Newhall joined the San Francisco Chronicle as a photographer. By 1952—when the Chronicle's circulation was 155,000, languishing behind those of the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Call-Bulletin—he was promoted from Sunday editor to executive editor, with the goal of increasing circulation, a goal he achieved by enhancing serious news coverage leavened with zany features and a stable of columnists that included "Dear Abby", Arthur Hoppe, Stanton Delaplane, Charles McCabe, "Count Marco",[4] and Herb Caen. By 1965, the Chronicle had surpassed the competition, with a daily circulation of over 363,000. He left the paper in 1971.[5][2][1][6][7]
In 1963, he purchased The Newhall Signal, which he sold in 1978, but continued to edit until 1988.[8]
In 2012, he was inducted into the California Newspaper Hall of Fame.[9]
Anguilla Liberty Dollars
Following the July 1967 secession of the Caribbean Island of Anguilla, Newhall, who had covered the event,[10] used the hydraulic presses in the basement of the San Francisco Chronicle to create 11,600 silver dollar-size counterstamped coins bearing the legend "ANGUILLA LIBERTY DOLLAR" encircling the center legend "JULY 11 1967". He offered the new government of Anguilla the opportunity to use his coins for currency. However, the offer was rejected.[11]
Bean, Walton (1973). California: An Interpretive History (Second ed.). McGraw-Hill, Inc. p. 454. ISBN0-07-004224-1. The San Francisco Chronicle passed from J. H. de Young to his son-in-law George T. Cameron in 1925, and to de Young's grandson Charles de Young Thieriot 30 years later. Under Cameron and his general manager Paul S. Smith the Chronicle made a valiant though generally thankless effort to be a West Coast New York Times. But under Thieriot and his executive editor Scott Newhall the Chronicle launched a much more successful drive to out-Hearst the Examiner in entertainment.
Caen, Herb (October 18, 1972). "Herb Caen". San Francisco Chronicle. Scott Newhall, guiding spirit of the S.F. Maritime Museum ever since he helped found it in 1948, has submitted his resignation as a trustee, reportedly because 'the cost accountants have taken over.' One good reason for his pique: the ancient tug, Eppleton Hall, which he sailed here from England in a daring exploit and then presented to the Museum, still lies unused along the waterfront because 'the cost accountants' won't lay out the piddling $8600 it would take to turn her into a public museum. Newhall put a quarter of a million dollars and several buckets of blood, sweat and tears into that old ship and at the moment it all seems down the drain.
Caen, Herb (November 1, 1994). "Herb Caen". San Francisco Chronicle. Mick Jagger loves what's left of our historic waterfront. Last Tues., he took his son to the Maritime Museum, and on Thurs. he showed up at the Hyde St. Pier with his wife, Jerry Hall. The apple of his eye: the paddlewheel tug Eppleton Hall, which Scott Newhall, then exec editor of The Chronicle, sailed here from England in an epic 1970 voyage.
Carroll, Jon (October 30, 1992). "Memories Of Scott Newhall". San Francisco Chronicle. Newhall liked sensation, controversy, scandal, violence, the fire and music of life. His particular passions and attitudes became dated, as all ours will, but his spirit is still with us. 'New Hairy Potato Oozes Goo,' said a headline in The Chronicle last Tuesday—pure Newhall.