Arkansas Catholic

What Arkansas Catholic does

Arkansas Catholic is the official weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock, founded on March 25, 1911, originally as The Southern Guardian and rebranded to its current name in 1986. The publication serves the Catholic population of Arkansas, providing diocesan, parish, school, and faith-related news under the publisher authority of Bishop Anthony B. Taylor. Core products include a 46-issue-per-year print edition (priced at $33–$35 annually), a free digital edition (since November 2019), the twice-monthly aSpire email newsletter, an annual Diocesan Directory, and ancillary products such as books, back issues, and the recently launched Catholic Classrooms Magazine (2025) and a 2027 pilgrimage offering.

The underlying technology stack is modest and conventional: a WordPress-based website (arkansas-catholic.org), upgraded in 2024, hosting a free digital edition at digital.arkansas-catholic.org, plus a content partnership with Our Sunday Visitor for aggregated national and Vatican news via RSS. Distribution occurs through paid print subscriptions (3,600 in 2024), the free digital edition (4,000 readers), the aSpire newsletter (3,400 subscribers), and parish-level channels, collectively reaching more than 9,000 households and 11,500 Catholics weekly. The publication has no native mobile app and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Revenue is generated through a mix of subscription fees (print), multi-channel advertising (print, website, diocesan directory, newsletter; rates $27–$657), one-time product sales (directory, books), and transaction-based pilgrimage fees (~$6,085 per person). As a non-profit diocesan entity, Arkansas Catholic does not disclose revenue and is structurally supported by the Diocese of Little Rock. The editorial team is small — approximately five named staff members including Editor Malea Hargett (since 1994), Associate Editor Katie Zakrzewski, Creative Services Specialist Debbie Kelly, Business Manager Mark Brasfield, and Website Director Tara Little.

Name

Arkansas Catholic

Legal name

Arkansas Catholic

Website

https://arkansas-catholic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arkansas Catholic is the official weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock, publishing diocesan, parish, and faith news for Arkansas Catholic households since 1911 via print, free digital, newsletter, and ancillary products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB), Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD), Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB)

Keywords

• Catholic newspaper publishing
• Diocesan weekly print edition
• Religious news media
• Catholic email newsletter
• Diocesan directory publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Subscriptions: Weekly newspaper subscriptions sold at $35/year (regular) and $33/year (senior 65+), with multi-year discounts. Includes 43 issues annually.
2. Advertising: Advertising space sold in print newspaper (reaching 11,500 Catholics weekly), diocesan directory, website, and aSpire e-newsletter. Rates range from $27 for marketplace ads to $657 for full page.
3. Book Sales: Sale of book 'Blessed Stanley Francis Rother: The First American Martyr' by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor, priced at $5-6 per copy
4. Diocesan Directory: Annual Catholic Diocese of Little Rock Directory sold for $18, containing contact information for priests, parishes, schools, and ministries
5. Pilgrimage Tours: Organized pilgrimages to religious destinations, such as the Greece and Ephesus trip at $6,085 per person (double occupancy), including lodging, meals, and site entrance fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arkansas Catholic publishes a weekly print newspaper (46 issues/year) as the official newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock, plus a free online digital edition and the aSpire twice-monthly email newsletter. It also sells an annual diocesan directory, Catholic-themed books and magazines, and organizes faith-based pilgrimages, all serving Catholic households, clergy, and advertisers in Arkansas.

Product overview

Arkansas Catholic is the official weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Little Rock, founded in 1911, offering a multi-platform Catholic media portfolio. The core offering is the Arkansas Catholic print edition, published 46 times per year. Supporting digital products include the free Arkansas Catholic Digital Edition, the aSpire email newsletter (twice-monthly), and the OSV Catholic News feed for national/world news. Additional products include the annual Diocese of Little Rock Directory, Catholic Classrooms Magazine (published 2025), the Blessed Stanley Francis Rother book, back issues, and organized pilgrimages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• aSpire: Free twice-monthly email newsletter providing news, spiritual boosts and ideas for Catholic life.

Products and services

• Arkansas Catholic Print Edition (Weekly Newspaper Subscription) Weekly print newspaper for the Diocese of Little Rock serving Catholics in Arkansas, published 46 times per year; available as 1-, 2-, and 3-year subscriptions with senior pricing for ages 65+.
• Arkansas Catholic Digital Edition Free online digital version of the newspaper accessible via digital.arkansas-catholic.org.
• Diocese of Little Rock Directory Annual comprehensive directory with contact information for every priest, deacon, religious, parish, school, ministry, hospital and Catholic organization in the Diocese of Little Rock; sold for $18 per copy.
• aSpire Email Newsletter Free twice-monthly newsletter featuring news, spiritual boosts, and ideas for Catholic life, delivered via email to 3,400+ subscribers.
• Book: Blessed Stanley Francis Rother: The First American Martyr Bilingual 88-page soft-cover book by Bishop Anthony B. Taylor about Oklahoma priest Father Stanley Rother, who was murdered for his faith in 1981 in Guatemala; priced at $5 in person or $6 by mail, with bulk discounts for 10+ copies.
• Catholic Classrooms Magazine Magazine published in 2025 by Arkansas Catholic in conjunction with the Office of Catholic Schools for educators in Arkansas Catholic schools.
• Pilgrimage to Greece and Ephesus 2027 12-day pilgrimage (including a three-day cruise) to Greece and Ephesus led by Father William Burmester, visiting sites connected with St. Paul and St. John; priced at $6,085 per person (double occupancy), including lodging, breakfasts, dinners, two lunches, and entrance fees (airfare not included).
• Back Issues of Arkansas Catholic Print copies of past Arkansas Catholic newspaper issues available from the past 12 months.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Catholic Sun (Diocese of Phoenix): Official diocesan newspaper of the Diocese of Phoenix. A direct peer diocesan publication with print, digital, and newsletter distribution serving Catholic households in Arizona, comparable in mission and structure to Arkansas Catholic.
• The Catholic Telegraph (Archdiocese of Cincinnati): One of the oldest Catholic diocesan newspapers in the U.S., published by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Operates print, digital, and newsletter channels — a long-established peer in Catholic diocesan publishing.
• The Catholic Spirit (Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis): Official diocesan newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Closely comparable to Arkansas Catholic as a weekly Catholic diocesan newspaper serving a defined geographic Catholic community with both print and digital editions.
• Catholic News Herald (Diocese of Charlotte): Official newspaper of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina. Operates print and digital editions to serve Catholics across the diocese — closely comparable in scope and operating model to Arkansas Catholic.
• Catholic Philly (Archdiocese of Philadelphia): Catholic news outlet serving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia with print, digital, and newsletter channels. A comparable diocesan Catholic publication with a similar audience profile and distribution mix.
• Catholic Standard (Archdiocese of Washington): Official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. Operates as a diocesan Catholic newspaper with print, digital, and multimedia channels serving local Catholic households — directly analogous to Arkansas Catholic's model.
• The Dialog (Diocese of Wilmington): Official newspaper of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware. A diocesan Catholic newspaper with print and digital editions serving Catholic households in the diocese, structurally similar to Arkansas Catholic.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic News Service: National Catholic news wire service operated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Provides the underlying news content that diocesan papers like Arkansas Catholic aggregate and republish, making it a direct comparable in Catholic news publishing.
• Our Sunday Visitor: National Catholic publishing company and news service. Already a content partner of Arkansas Catholic via OSV Catholic News aggregation, and a direct incumbent in Catholic periodical and news publishing at a national scale.

Emerging players

• St. Anthony Messenger / Franciscan Media: Catholic publishing organization producing magazines, books, and digital media with a national Catholic audience. Comparable in publishing mission (Catholic periodicals, books, devotionals) but operating at a national rather than diocesan scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arkcatholic
• Facebookfacebook.com/arkansascatholic
• Instagraminstagram.com/arkansascatholic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkansas-catholic-newspaper

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&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Arkansas Catholic