The State News
The State News is a student-run newspaper and multi-platform newsroom serving the Michigan State University community, producing daily digital coverage, a weekly print edition, podcasts, multimedia, newsletters, and a public-records FOIA tool under the legal entity State News, Inc.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1909
- HeadquartersEast Lansing, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The State News does
The State News is a student-run newspaper serving the Michigan State University community in East Lansing, Michigan, operating continuously since 1909 under the legal entity State News, Inc. It functions as a multi-platform newsroom producing a daily-updated website (statenews.com), a weekly print edition distributed physically on campus and digitally via Issuu, dedicated podcast programming, photo and video multimedia content, an opt-in email newsletter, classifieds and obituaries, and a reader-facing FOIA public-records generator. Coverage spans MSU administration and campus life, Michigan state news, business, environment, sports across all major Spartan programs, social justice, health, and community events, supplemented by Letters to the Editor and Guest Commentary sections that formalize outside voices into the editorial pipeline.
The underlying technology stack is built on the third-party SNworks publishing platform, with assets served via SNworks CDN and image transformation pipelines, and a DonorView portal handling philanthropic giving. Distribution channels split between regional retail-style print distribution and self-serve digital and mobile access; the publication is monetized through a combination of subscriptions, print and digital advertising (including classifieds and obituaries), and donor contributions via the DonorView portal. No advertising rate card, subscription pricing tiers, or financial disclosures are publicly available in the source material. Customer segments center on MSU students, faculty and staff, alumni, and the broader East Lansing community, with all segments essentially adjacent to a single institutional anchor (Michigan State University).
Strategic posture reflects a defensive adaptation to the secular decline of print advertising rather than an aggressive growth play: the organization has been broadening into podcasts, video, email, and digital-edition formats, modernizing the website, and formalizing donor-based funding as a recurring revenue channel alongside traditional advertising. The business remains structurally low-cost because it relies on a student labor pipeline rather than professional journalists, which constrains its scalability but also insulates it from many of the cost pressures that have destabilized comparable regional outlets.
The State News firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The State News
- Legal name
- State News, Inc.
- Website
- https://statenews.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1909
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The State News is a student-run newspaper and multi-platform newsroom serving the Michigan State University community, producing daily digital coverage, a weekly print edition, podcasts, multimedia, newsletters, and a public-records FOIA tool under the legal entity State News, Inc.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The State News industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Newspaper / Campus News Media
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Media & Publications (Newspaper, Radio, TV) (EDALAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
Keywords
Where The State News is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- East Lansing
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The State News business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The State News product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The State News is a student-run newspaper that publishes campus, local Michigan, sports, life, and opinion journalism for the Michigan State University community and greater East Lansing area. It produces a weekly print edition distributed on campus and digitally via Issuu, a continuously updated digital news website at statenews.com, podcast programming, photo/video multimedia content, email newsletters, classifieds, and obituary listings, all under the legal entity State News, Inc.
Product overview
The State News is a student-run news organization at Michigan State University offering a multi-platform journalism operation consisting of its core digital news website (statenews.com), a weekly print edition available in both digital and physical formats, podcast programming, and photo/video content. Additional services include an email newsletter subscription, guest commentary submissions for community perspectives, and classifieds/obituaries for the local community. The organization is powered by SNworks Solutions and operates as the independent student voice covering MSU, Michigan, business, environment, sports, and campus life.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The State News Print Edition Weekly print newspaper distributed on the MSU campus and digitally via Issuu, covering campus news, sports, community stories, life, and opinion for the MSU and East Lansing audience.
- statenews.com Digital News Website Primary digital publishing platform providing continuous news coverage of MSU, Michigan, business, environment, sports, and campus life, with article archives, multimedia, and podcast access.
- State News Podcasts Audio content programming distributed through a dedicated podcast section of the website, covering MSU and East Lansing topics.
- Email Newsletter Subscription Subscription email service delivering breaking news alerts and weekly updates to readers' inboxes.
- Classifieds and Obituaries Paid community classified advertisements and obituary listings service for the MSU and East Lansing community.
Companies that use The State News
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The State News technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The State News partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The State News competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Lantern: Student newspaper at The Ohio State University covering campus and Big Ten sports. Closely analogous to The State News as a Big Ten–focused student paper with a similar mix of local news, sports, and commentary.
- The Michigan Daily: Independent student-run daily newspaper at the University of Michigan covering campus news, sports, and opinion. The closest comparable to The State News as a flagship Big Ten student newspaper operating a digital-plus-print newsroom in the same state.
- The Harvard Crimson: Daily student newspaper serving Harvard University with deep news, sports, and opinion coverage. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and the multi-generational brand position The State News also occupies within its host university.
- The Daily Targum: Student newspaper at Rutgers University publishing daily across web and print. Directly comparable as a long-running campus newspaper with multi-platform distribution and student-staffed journalism.
- The Cornell Daily Sun: Independent student-run daily newspaper at Cornell University. Comparable as a campus-focused news operation with digital-first publishing and a student editorial board.
- The Daily Pennsylvanian: Independent student newspaper at the University of Pennsylvania publishing online and in print. Highly comparable model: multi-format student newsroom serving a single campus community with advertising and subscription revenue.
- The Stanford Daily: Student-run newspaper at Stanford University covering campus news, sports, and opinion. Comparable as an independent, student-staffed news outlet with a mix of digital publishing, newsletters, and multimedia content.
- The Daily Bruin: Student-run newspaper at UCLA covering campus news, sports, arts, and opinion. Comparable as a multi-format student newsroom with digital and print distribution serving a single large university.
- The Badger Herald: Student-run newspaper at the University of Wisconsin–Madison covering campus news and sports. Comparable peer in the Big Ten ecosystem with a digital-plus-print student newsroom model.
- The Daily Northwestern: Student-run daily newspaper covering Northwestern University news, sports, and campus life. Comparable in scale, multi-platform operations (digital, print, podcast), and reliance on student staff for daily coverage of a single university community.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The State News social profiles
Digital presenceThe State News financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The State News leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The State News funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The State News M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The State News
What does The State News do?
The State News is a student-run newspaper that publishes campus, local Michigan, sports, life, and opinion journalism for the Michigan State University community and greater East Lansing area. It produces a weekly print edition distributed on campus and digitally via Issuu, a continuously updated digital news website at statenews.com, podcast programming, photo/video multimedia content, email newsletters, classifieds, and obituary listings, all under the legal entity State News, Inc.
Is The State News a public or private company?
The State News is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The State News founded?
The State News was founded in 1909. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The State News based?
The State News is headquartered in East Lansing, United States, in the North America region.
Who are The State News's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Lantern, The Michigan Daily, The Harvard Crimson, The Daily Targum, The Cornell Daily Sun, The Daily Pennsylvanian, The Stanford Daily, The Daily Bruin, The Badger Herald and The Daily Northwestern.
Does The State News have an API?
No public API is recorded for The State News.
What industry is The State News in?
The State News's product category is Student Newspaper / Campus News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAHAE, Student Media & Publications (Newspaper, Radio, TV), with a secondary code of MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.