The Wilson Times

What The Wilson Times does

The Wilson Times is a privately held, for-profit local newspaper serving Wilson, North Carolina and surrounding Wilson County communities, in continuous publication since 1896. It operates as a print and digital community news outlet covering local news, sports, editorials, letters, obituaries, classifieds, public notices, and special sections (e.g., health, deed transfers, entertainment). The publication is run by a small editorial team led by a President/Publisher and an Editor, with staff reporters, contributing writers, and operates under the Restoration News Media umbrella alongside sister papers covering other eastern North Carolina communities (The Enterprise, The Johnstonian News, The Ledger News, The Wake Weekly).

The product surface consists of a core news website (wilsontimes.com) built on PubGen CMS technology with assistive-technology support, an E-Edition digital replica, an online Classifieds marketplace, an Obituaries module delivered via a Legacy.com partnership, Public Notices and 2025 Tax Listings delivered via Column.us, and a standalone Digital Subscription tier. Distribution spans home/mail print delivery, self-serve website access, and social channels (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X) plus email newsletters.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring consumer subscriptions (print and digital), transaction-based advertising (classifieds, public notices, display), and partnership-based professional services (obituaries via Legacy.com). Pricing is monthly subscription-based for reader revenue and pay-as-you-go transaction-based for classified and public notice revenue, with all operational contact routed through a single Wilson, NC headquarters. The 2018 acquisition of The Enterprise is the only disclosed inorganic growth action.

Name

The Wilson Times

Legal name

The Wilson Times

Website

https://wilsontimes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1896

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Wilson Times is a local print and digital community newspaper serving Wilson County, North Carolina since 1896, providing local news, sports, obituaries, classifieds, and public notices to local residents and businesses via subscription and advertising revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Subscription & Fulfillment Services (Print & Digital) (MPAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Community news coverage
• Digital news subscriptions
• Classified advertising
• Public notice services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Print Subscriptions: Physical newspaper delivery subscriptions for local residents in Wilson, North Carolina and surrounding communities
2. Digital Subscriptions: Online access to news content, e-edition, and digital-only content
3. Classified Advertising: Paid classified ads including employment, real estate, vehicles, pets, yard sales, and general classifieds
4. Public Notices: Legal public notices including tax listings, published for government entities and businesses
5. Display Advertising: Traditional newspaper display advertising from local businesses
6. Obituary Services: Obituary placement services through partnership with Legacy.com

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Wilson Times is a community newspaper serving Wilson, North Carolina since 1896, providing local news, sports, editorials, classified advertising, obituaries, and public notices across print and digital channels. The publication distributes a physical newspaper through home delivery and mail subscriptions, and maintains a comprehensive news website with an E-Edition, online classifieds, and digital subscription services for readers and local businesses in Wilson County.

Product overview

The Wilson Times is a single-product local newspaper offering both print and digital subscription services. The core product is its news coverage, supplemented by E-Edition (digital replica of the print paper), Classifieds (advertising marketplace), Obituaries (in partnership with Legacy.com), and Public Notices (via Column.us). The publication also offers a standalone digital subscription tier for online-only access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Wilson Times (Print and Digital Newspaper) A local print and digital newspaper serving Wilson, North Carolina and surrounding Wilson County communities, providing news coverage across News, Sports, Editorials, Letters, Entertainment Plus, and Special Sections.
• E-Edition

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Restoration News Media (Parent Company)coreOthersThe Wilson Times is operated by Restoration News Media, which also publishes sister newspapers including The Enterprise (Spring Hope), The Johnstonian News, The Ledger News, and The Wake Weekly, all serving eastern North Carolina communities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Ledger News: Another Restoration News Media sister title serving eastern North Carolina. Same operating model, similar size, and shared back office with The Wilson Times.
• Rocky Mount Telegram: Long-established daily newspaper serving Rocky Mount and Nash/Edgecombe counties in eastern NC, adjacent to Wilson County. Closely comparable as a regional print+digital daily with subscriptions, classifieds, and public notices.
• Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald: Daily newspaper serving Halifax and Northampton counties in eastern NC, near the Wilson Times market. Comparable small-market daily with similar subscription, advertising, and public notice revenue streams.
• The Johnstonian News: Sister community newspaper within Restoration News Media covering Johnston County, NC. Closely comparable in scale, structure, and operating model to The Wilson Times.
• The Enterprise (Spring Hope): Sister community newspaper in the Restoration News Media portfolio covering Spring Hope and southern Nash County, NC. Directly comparable as a small local print+digital paper with similar revenue mix and operations.
• The Wake Weekly: Sister weekly community newspaper in the Restoration News Media group serving Wake County, NC. Comparable small-market local print+digital operation with similar product mix.

Broad incumbents

• The News & Observer (Raleigh): Flagship regional daily of the Triangle area in North Carolina, owned by McClatchy. Much larger in scale but overlaps with Wilson Times in regional news coverage, digital subscriptions, and display advertising.
• Gannett / USA TODAY Network: Large national local newspaper group operating many competing community and regional titles, including North Carolina properties. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same local newspaper category.

Others

• Legacy.com: National obituary platform partnered with The Wilson Times for obituary placement and browsing. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• Restoration News Media: Parent operating company of The Wilson Times and its sister titles. Relevant as the corporate parent that consolidates operations and sets strategy across the portfolio.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thewilsontimes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@restorationnewsmedia1488
• Facebookfacebook.com/wilsontimes
• Instagraminstagram.com/thewilsontimes/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilson-times

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Wilson Times