The Hudson Independent

What The Hudson Independent does

The Hudson Independent (also known as "The Indy") is a community news organization founded in 2006 that serves six Hudson River villages in Westchester County, New York: Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, and Ardsley. Originally launched as a monthly print newspaper with free circulation mailed to 19,000 households, the publication transitioned to an entirely internet-based format in 2020 and now operates as a full-service daily-updated digital news platform covering local government, schools, real estate, business, sports, social events, and community personalities. Its technology footprint is a standard website CMS at thehudsonindependent.com, supplemented by a free twice-weekly email newsletter, a community bulletin board, an events calendar, a digital archive of pre-2020 print issues, and social channels on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.

The business model blends three revenue streams under the umbrella of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure. The Hudson Valley News Foundation assumed ownership in 2022, granting tax-exempt status and enabling tax-deductible contributions and grants modeled on NPR/PBS. Operating revenue comes from (1) digital advertising sold via a dedicated account executive to local SMBs, (2) paid public-notice publishing at $25 per 100 words, and (3) donations and grants from community supporters. Ancillary products include a Services Directory and a Professional Directory for local businesses and practitioners. There is no disclosed headcount, no external funding rounds, and no publicly reported revenue, consistent with a small community nonprofit. The publication has been recognized with the Laurance S. Rockefeller Award and was honored on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman George Latimer for its service to the Rivertowns.

Name

The Hudson Independent

Legal name

Hudson Valley News Corporation

Website

https://thehudsonindependent.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Hudson Independent is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit digital news outlet, founded in 2006, that covers local government, schools, and community life across six Westchester County Rivertowns villages (Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, Ardsley) via a daily website, email newsletter, directories, and public-notice services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Community News

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

National Public Television Networks & Member Stations (PBS-style) (MPABADAA)

Keywords

• Local news reporting
• Community journalism
• Digital news publishing
• Email newsletter media
• Nonprofit news media

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The Hudson Independent sells advertising space on its website to local businesses, providing exposure to thousands of users in ways that contribute to the welfare of the community as a whole.
2. Public Notices: The publication publishes public notices for $25 for up to 100 words, with additional words at 10 cents per word.
3. Tax-Deductible Contributions and Grants: Following its 2022 transfer to the Hudson Valley News Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Hudson Independent receives tax-deductible contributions and grants from community members and organizations who value it as an objective news source, similar to the NPR/PBS model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Hudson Independent is a digital local news publication that provides daily news coverage, community event listings, public notices, business directories, and a free email newsletter for residents of the Rivertowns communities in Westchester County, New York. Originally launched in 2006 as a print publication, it transitioned to digital-only in 2020 and was transferred to the Hudson Valley News Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in 2022.

Product overview

The Hudson Independent operates The Indy as its primary core product—a full-service online local news platform updated daily, having transitioned from a monthly print newspaper (mailed to 19,000 households) to entirely internet-based since 2020. The company augments its news platform with supporting products including Services Directory and Professional Directory (business listings), Email Newsletter Subscriptions (free alerts sent twice weekly), Public Notices Publishing (paid listings), Archive PDFs (preserved print editions from 2014-2020), and Advertising Services for local businesses. In 2022, ownership transferred to the nonprofit Hudson Valley News Foundation, maintaining editorial independence while enabling tax-deductible contributions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Hudson Independent Daily News Website A free online news platform delivering daily-updated local news coverage of the Rivertowns communities of Westchester County, New York. Targeted at Rivertowns residents seeking hyperlocal civic, cultural, and community news.
• Free Email Newsletter A no-cost email newsletter delivering curated local news, event information, and community updates to subscribers in the Rivertowns. Targeted at readers who prefer email-based news consumption.
• Community Bulletin Board An online community-submitted bulletin board where local individuals and organizations can post announcements, classifieds, and community messages. Targeted at Rivertowns community members and local organizations.
• Events Calendar An online calendar of community events in the Rivertowns region. Targeted at Rivertowns residents and community organizations promoting local events.
• Local Directory An online directory of local businesses, services, and resources in the Rivertowns area. Targeted at residents seeking local services and at local businesses seeking visibility.
• Public Notices Service A paid service for posting legal, governmental, and other public notices required by law or regulation, distributed through the publication's digital platform. Targeted at legal firms, government entities, and other organizations needing to publish public notices in the Rivertowns region.
• Display and Classified Advertising A paid advertising placement service for local businesses and organizations to reach Rivertowns readers through the publication's website, newsletter, and bulletin board. Targeted at local businesses and community organizations seeking advertising reach.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving thousands of registered households with breaking news email alerts

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GreenGeeksminorOthersGreenGeeks provides web hosting services for The Hudson Independent. The hosting company is known for its sustainable environmental practices — using sustainably-produced energy for its facilities and paying carbon credits for an additional 200% of its usage.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Patch.com: Patch operates hyperlocal digital news sites across thousands of U.S. communities, including many in Westchester County. It directly competes with The Indy as a community-level digital news destination covering local government, schools, and events.
• River Journal / River Journal Newspapers: A local independent news outlet covering parts of the Hudson Valley and Westchester, including nearby communities. It competes for the same Rivertowns-area advertisers and readers as The Hudson Independent.
• The Examiner News (examiner-media.com): An independent local news organization covering Westchester County municipalities including Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow. It directly overlaps with The Indy's geographic coverage and audience.
• Tap Into (TAPinto): TAPinto operates franchised hyperlocal online newspapers across multiple New Jersey and New York towns, providing community-level digital news. It is comparable as a digital-first hyperlocal news platform competing for SMB advertising dollars.
• The Daily Voice (dailyvoice.com): A regional hyperlocal digital news network covering Westchester and surrounding counties. Directly competes with The Indy for local news readership and small-business advertising in Westchester.

Broad incumbents

• LoHud.com (The Journal News / lohud): The Journal News/lohud.com is the dominant regional newspaper covering the Lower Hudson Valley, including Westchester. It competes for the same local advertisers and readers but at a larger geographic scale as a Gannett-owned regional incumbent.

Regional players

• RiverCurrents / Hudson Valley news outlets: A regional Hudson Valley news outlet covering broader area news beyond the Rivertowns. It competes for some advertisers and reader attention across overlapping Hudson Valley geography.

Emerging players

• The River Newsroom (nonprofit newsrooms coalition): An emerging nonprofit local news initiative in the Hudson Valley. Comparable to The Indy in nonprofit structure, mission-driven journalism, and reliance on grants/donations for sustainability.
• The Rivertowns Enterprise (Sleepy Hollow/Tarrytown local history outlet): A smaller-scale local outlet covering Rivertowns-area civic, cultural, and historical stories. Partially overlaps with The Indy's content categories and audience, especially around community news and personalities.

Others

• Good Local News (Craigslist Foundation-style nonprofit news): An aggregator/ecosystem player supporting nonprofit local newsrooms nationally. It is comparable in mission (sustaining community journalism) and adjacent as a potential funding/dissemination partner for nonprofits like The Hudson Independent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheHudsonIndy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCARt9lRp36jrZQ9itkbxVGw
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHudsonIndependent
• Instagraminstagram.com/thehudsonindependent

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The Hudson Independent