The Dallas Weekly

What The Dallas Weekly does

Dallas Weekly is a privately held, multimedia news media company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, serving the African American community of North Texas. Founded in 1954, the publisher has maintained 71 consecutive years of uninterrupted publication and operates a portfolio of products including a weekly print edition, the DallasWeekly.com website built on the Newspack content management system, an interactive E-Edition with page-turning technology, an online marketplace, a digital events calendar, email newsletters, social media channels across six major platforms, and an internet radio station. As a founding member of the Word In Black national digital nonprofit newsroom consortium, the company also distributes syndicated content nationally. The technical stack combines Newspack CMS, an E-Edition platform supporting video and audio, and AI-assisted newsroom tools (used for transcription, research, data sorting, and brainstorming under a human-editor-approved policy with data-security safeguards).

The business model is diversified across five revenue streams: (1) multimedia advertising and sponsorships (display ads, homepage takeovers, in-content video, newsletter sponsorships, branded content) targeting a $36 billion Black consumer market in North Texas; (2) one-time, monthly, and annual reader donations in tiered amounts ranging from $10 to $750; (3) the annual Best of Black Dallas Awards gala generating sponsorship and ticketing revenue; (4) an online marketplace for local businesses and non-profits; and (5) a digital events calendar. Leadership is held by CEO and Publisher Jessica "Jess" Washington and Chief Revenue Officer Swan Lee, with a sales and editorial team of 11–50 employees. The company has received a Google News Initiative News Equity Fund grant (November 2022) and operates strategic partnerships with the Local Media Association and Google for digital development.

The customer base is bifurcated between advertisers (national brands targeting Black consumers in North Texas, plus local SMBs advertising through the marketplace) and readers who consume editorial content and may contribute donations. The publication does not publish a paid content subscription product for consumers, instead relying on advertising yield and donor support to underwrite community journalism.

Name

The Dallas Weekly

Legal name

The Dallas Weekly

Website

https://dallasweekly.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dallas Weekly is a privately held, 71-year-old multimedia Black news publisher serving the African American community of North Texas through print, digital, e-edition, newsletter, social, marketplace, events, and internet radio channels, monetizing primarily via advertising, reader donations, and signature events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Advertising & Sponsorships: Dallas Weekly offers full multimedia advertising products including display ads, homepage takeovers, in-content video, newsletter sponsorships, and branded content. Targets the African American consumer market in North Texas with a $36 billion consumer base.
2. Reader Donations: The publication solicits one-time, monthly, and annual donations from readers to support credible, community-based Black journalism. Donation tiers include $10, $25, $50, $80, $150, $250, $500, and $750.
3. Events & Awards: The Best of Black Dallas Awards is a signature annual event that generates sponsorship revenue and community engagement, celebrating Black businesses and leaders in North Texas.
4. Marketplace & Digital Products: Online marketplace for local businesses and non-profits to market their services to the DFW metroplex. Additional products include the digital calendar for event promotion and newsletter advertising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Dallas Weekly is referenced only by name in the input. No descriptive content about its products or services was supplied to characterize its core offering.

Product overview

The Dallas Weekly operates as a multimedia brand with a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of the print publication (serving the African American community for over 70 years) and the DallasWeekly.com website. These are supplemented by the E-Edition (interactive digital version of the print publication), DW Calendar (event calendar), Marketplace (online business directory), Newsletter (weekly email), Internet Radio (newly launched audio platform), and Social Media presence. The portfolio collectively enables advertisers to reach a $36 billion Black consumer market in North Texas through print, digital, video, radio, and social channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 71 consecutive years of publication without missing an issue
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Word In BlackcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDallas Weekly is a founding member of Word In Black, a national digital nonprofit newsroom with the mission to confront inequities, elevate solutions, and amplify the Black experience by reporting, collecting, and sharing stories about people and communities nationwide. This partnership provides Dallas Weekly with national reach and enables syndicated content coverage of Black communities across the country.
• Local Media Association (LMA)strategicTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership with Local Media Association (LMA) for digital development. Through this partnership and training from Google, Dallas Weekly's digital product suite is engineered to engage audiences more effectively than ever before.
• GooglestrategicTechnology or IntegrationAdvanced training from Google to enhance Dallas Weekly's digital product capabilities. Combined with Local Media Association partnership, this training enables more effective audience engagement and content delivery.
• NNPA (National Newspaper Publishers Association)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NNPA, the trade association of African American newspapers, connecting Dallas Weekly with the broader Black press ecosystem nationally.
• NBC DFWminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDallas Weekly has been featured on NBC DFW, one of the major broadcast affiliates in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, enhancing media credibility and reach.
• WFAAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDallas Weekly has been featured on WFAA (ABC affiliate), gaining visibility and credibility through coverage on this major North Texas news outlet.
• D MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDallas Weekly has been featured in D Magazine, a prominent Dallas publication, enhancing recognition among Dallas business and civic leaders.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blavity: Digital-first media company focused on Black culture, news, and lifestyle. Comparable to Dallas Weekly in audience and mission, but operates at national scale with a heavier digital and social emphasis, making it the most direct peer in terms of target demographic.
• The Root: National digital publication covering news, culture, and politics from a Black perspective. Directly comparable to Dallas Weekly in editorial focus and audience, though it competes nationally rather than regionally and is digital-only.
• Word In Black: National digital nonprofit newsroom of which Dallas Weekly is a founding member. Directly comparable as a Black-focused news platform, but operates as a syndicated consortium rather than a single regional publication.
• Houston Defender: NNPA-affiliated Black newspaper serving the Houston metro area. Closely comparable as a regional legacy Black publication with similar print + digital model and advertiser offering, though serving a different Texas market.
• The Atlanta Voice: Historic Black newspaper serving the Atlanta metro. Comparable to Dallas Weekly as a legacy Black weekly newspaper with an NNPA affiliation and a similar mix of print, digital, and community journalism.

Broad incumbents

• Essence: Established national media brand serving Black women through print, digital, and events. Comparable in audience focus and multimedia model (including a major events business), but operates at much larger scale and with a narrower demographic focus.
• Ebony: Long-running national Black media brand across digital, print, and events. Comparable to Dallas Weekly in community-heritage positioning and Black audience focus, but with a national footprint and broader lifestyle editorial.
• Dallas Morning News: Dominant mainstream daily newspaper in the DFW market. Comparable in operating geography and as a multimedia news + advertising platform, but serves a general audience and operates at much larger scale.

Regional players

• D Magazine: Established regional magazine covering Dallas business, culture, and lifestyle. Comparable as a DFW-focused multimedia media brand with advertising products, but targets a general upscale audience rather than the Black community.

Others

• National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA): Trade association of African American-owned newspapers. Directly comparable as the institutional ecosystem Dallas Weekly operates within, providing distribution partnerships, advertising networks, and shared infrastructure across the Black press.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dallasweekly
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjSOTAn-0D-57wb7cQmsDHw
• Facebookfacebook.com/dallas.weekly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dallas-weekly
• Instagraminstagram.com/dallasweekly
• TikToktiktok.com/@dallasweekly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Dallas Weekly