Augusta Free Press

What Augusta Free Press does

Augusta Free Press is an independent, reader-supported online news publication founded in 2002 and based in Waynesboro, Virginia. It operates a single digital platform at augustafreepress.com that delivers hyperlocal coverage of the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding Virginia communities — including Staunton, Waynesboro, Augusta County, Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Harrisonburg — spanning local government and public safety, Virginia politics, sports (with a dedicated "Go 'Hoos" section for UVA athletics and NASCAR coverage), and national/international stories with a local angle. The publication is owned and edited by founder Chris Graham, a 1994 University of Virginia alumnus and author of seven books, and is staffed by a small team of approximately eight named contributors/authors, several of whom bring prior professional journalism backgrounds (e.g., Bob Stuart, 28 years at The News Virginian; Rod Mullins, former UVA-Wise sports information director).

Name

Augusta Free Press

Legal name

Augusta Free Press LLC

Website

https://augustafreepress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Augusta Free Press is an independent, reader-supported online news outlet founded in 2002 and based in Waynesboro, Virginia, covering local news, Virginia politics, UVA athletics, and NASCAR for Shenandoah Valley readers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Regional News Publication

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)

Keywords

• Local news coverage
• Regional journalism
• Online news publishing
• Sports news coverage
• Political news reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Waynesboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Augusta Free Press is an independent online news publication providing regional journalism focused on Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and statewide coverage. Its core offering is free, ad-supported and donation-supported digital news content covering local government, public safety, Virginia politics, UVA athletics (basketball, football, baseball), NASCAR, and community events, delivered through a website, email newsletter, and active social media channels.

Product overview

Augusta Free Press is a single-platform online news publication offering regional journalism focused on Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. The publication operates as a unified website (augustafreepress.com) delivering content across multiple topical categories including local news, Virginia politics, sports coverage (with emphasis on UVA athletics and NASCAR), and commercial/sponsored content. The site functions as a content platform with integrated social sharing capabilities and email newsletter subscription services. No SaaS products, modules, or add-on services are offered beyond the core news publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Augusta Free Press News Website The flagship online news publication covering local news, Virginia politics, sports (UVA athletics and NASCAR), community events, and national/global issues with a regional Virginia focus. It is the core product and primary platform for all editorial content.
• Augusta Free Press Email Newsletter (Headlines)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Bacon's Rebellion: Virginia-focused online opinion/news commentary platform founded by a longtime Virginia political journalist. Comparable as an opinion-forward digital outlet covering Virginia politics and policy.

Broad incumbents

• WVTF Public Radio: NPR-member public radio station serving western and central Virginia. Comparable as an established regional public-media information source, though delivered via broadcast/streaming rather than web-native publishing.
• The Roanoke Times: Largest regional daily covering western Virginia. Comparable as a Virginia regional news source serving neighboring audiences, though broader in scope and substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Cardinal News: Digital nonprofit news outlet covering Southwest and Central Virginia. Closely comparable: similar geographic footprint in Virginia, online-only delivery, donation- and grant-supported model, and hyperlocal civic/political coverage.
• C-Ville Weekly: Alternative weekly newspaper and website covering Charlottesville. Comparable as an independent regional news outlet covering local politics, food, arts, and UVA culture in central Virginia.
• Charlottesville Tomorrow: Nonprofit digital news organization covering Charlottesville and surrounding counties. Comparable as a regional digital news outlet with civic/policy focus in central Virginia and reader-supported funding.
• The News Virginian: Daily newspaper covering Waynesboro and Augusta County — the same core geography as AFP. Direct comparable operating in the adjacent legacy-newspaper model that AFP was launched to complement.
• The Daily News-Record: Daily newspaper serving Harrisonburg and Rockingham County in the Shenandoah Valley. Direct comparable: same operating region, covers the same communities and UVA sports, though it is an established legacy publication versus AFP's newer digital model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AugFreePress
• YouTubeyoutube.com/chrisgrahamAFP
• Facebookfacebook.com/AugustaFreePress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Augusta Free Press