Cowles Media Company (/koʊlz/ KOHLZ) (1935–1998) was a newspaper, magazine and information publishing company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. The company operated Cowles Business Media, Cowles Creative Publishing, and Cowles Enthusiast Media units. Its flagship publication was the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Other papers owned by the company at one time were the Des Moines Register, the Buffalo Courier-Express, the Scottsdale Progress and the Rapid City Journal. The company also owned the Register and Tribune Syndicate.

The company traded as Cowles Magazines (1946–1965), and Cowles Communications, Inc. (1965–1971). From 1969 to 1971 Cowles Communications sold Family Circle and other publications, retaining five broadcasting stations, a travel magazine, and a marketing service. Look magazine (1937–1971) was published by an unrelated company known as Look, Inc. (1937–1945). In 1998, Cowles Media was acquired by The McClatchy Company and was absorbed into the larger company at that time and ceased.

In 1903, banker Gardner Cowles Sr. acquired a 50% stake in the Des Moines Register and Leader, a newspaper in Iowa. This made him the largest shareholder. The paper was later renamed to The Des Moines Register. In 1908, he acquired the Des Moines Tribune. In 1922, Cowles established the Register and Tribune Syndicate with Henry P. Martin as its general manager. In 1931, the company entered the radio market when it acquired the KSO radio station in Clarinda and moved it to Des Moines, Iowa. In March 1935, KSO became KRNT, with the new call letters, "R 'n T" short for "Register and Tribune."

In June 1935, the Cowles family purchased the Minneapolis Star. At that point, the Cowles Media Company formed with Gardner Cowles Sr. handing control of his newspapers to his sons John Cowles Sr. and Gardner "Mike" Cowles Jr. In 1939, the company purchased the Minneapolis Evening Journal and merged it with the Star to form the Star-Journal. In 1941 the company bought the Minneapolis Morning Tribune. This gave Cowles ownership of the major newspapers on the western side of the Twin Cities. The Tribune became Minneapolis' morning newspaper, the Star-Journal (shortened to the Star in 1947) was the evening newspaper, and they published a joint Sunday edition. A separate evening newspaper called the Times was spun off and published until 1948. In 1949, Colwes sold WOL (AM) to The Capital Broadcasting Co.

In 1955, Cowles entered the television market as the 60% majority owner of KRNT-TV in Des Moines, Iowa. This marked the start of the company's expansion into television. Later that year Cowles acquired KTVH for $1.07 million. In 1964, Cowles Media acquired the Rapid City Journal. In April 1965, the company bought a 50% stake in Harper's Magazine, followed by the Great Falls Tribune. The company sold WREG-TV to The New York Times Company in 1971, KRNT to Stauffer Publications in 1973, and WREC in 1974. Cowles purchased the South Idaho Press in 1977, and the Buffalo Courier-Express in 1979.

In 1980, Harper's Magazine was sold to the MacArthur Foundation after Cowles had announced plans to close the publication. In April 1982, the afternoon Star was discontinued and the two papers merged into a single morning paper called the Minneapolis Star and Tribune. In June 1982, the Des Moines Tribune was absorbed into the Des Moines Register. In July 1982, KTVH was sold for $12 million.

In September 1982, the Buffalo Courier-Express ceased publication after losing $8.6 million annually. This came after the paper's union rejected a sale to News American Publishing, owned by Rupert Murdoch, as the deal called for a 40% cut in staff and other contract givebacks.

Cowles sold WDRB for $10 million in 1984, the Des Moines Register to Gannett Co. in 1985, and the Register and Tribune Syndicate to Hearst for $4.3 million in 1986. The company acquired the Scottsdale Progress in May 1987, and then sold the South Idaho Press to Park Communications in July 1987, the Rapid City Journal to Lee Enterprises for $45 million in February 1990, Great Falls Tribune to Gannett Co. in May 1990, and the Scottsdale Progress to Cox Newspapers in 1993.