The Journal News

What The Journal News does

The Journal-News, operating under the legal entity Hillsboro Journal Inc., is a privately held, family-owned community newspaper headquartered at 431 S. Main St. in Hillsboro, Illinois, with a satellite office in Litchfield. The publication serves residents of Montgomery and Macoupin counties, including Hillsboro, Litchfield, Nokomis, Lincolnwood, and surrounding communities, providing hyperlocal news, high school sports coverage for four area schools, obituaries, classified advertising, opinion and letters-to-the-editor content, and coverage of civic events such as county fairs and city council meetings. The newspaper is owned by John and Susan Galer and operates as a multi-generational family business, with Mary (Galer) Herschelman serving as Publisher, Kyle Herschelman as Sports Editor, and Isaiah Atkins serving as Editor until his departure in May 2026.

The company distributes content through a dual print and digital model. The print newspaper is delivered via USPS, either two days per week or as a combined Monday and Thursday single-day edition. The digital presence is built on a website platform provided by Creative Circle Media Solutions, supplemented by an E-Edition digital replica of the print product and a dedicated digital classifieds marketplace at classifieds.thejournal-news.net. A subscription-gated "Web Extras" tier offers premium syndicated content across roughly twenty verticals including Agriculture, Tech, Health, Business, Travel, and Home Improvement.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring print and digital subscriptions and through advertising, which includes both display advertising and classified listings (employment, real estate, merchandise, services, transportation, yard/garage sales, announcements, and rentals). The company employs 51–100 people, has no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed partnerships or M&A activity. A "Report News Form" allows community members to submit news tips. The business model is a traditional small-market newspaper operating with limited digital differentiation and no disclosed AI, data, or platform technology investments.

Name

The Journal News

Legal name

Hillsboro Journal Inc.

Website

https://thejournal-news.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Journal-News (Hillsboro Journal Inc.) is a family-owned community newspaper serving Hillsboro, Litchfield, Nokomis, and surrounding towns in Illinois' Montgomery and Macoupin counties, distributing print editions via USPS alongside a website, E-Edition, and digital classifieds marketplace on a subscription and advertising model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Local newspaper
• Community news
• Print journalism
• Classified advertising
• Digital news

Headquarters

HQ city

Hillsboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print and Digital Subscriptions: Subscriptions delivered via USPS with options for 2 days per week or combined Monday & Thursday print delivery. Digital-only subscribers receive full online access with account registration.
2. Advertising: Display advertising and classified advertising across both print and digital platforms. Classifieds cover categories including Announcements, Employment, For Rent, Merchandise, Real Estate, Services, Transportation, and Yard/Garage Sales.
3. Subscription Refund Policy: Subscribers may cancel subscriptions at any time. Refund provided for remaining subscription time as determined by the Circulation Department. No refunds issued for advertising after first publication deadline.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Journal-News is a hyperlocal community newspaper serving Hillsboro, Litchfield, Nokomis, and surrounding communities in Montgomery and Macoupin counties, Illinois. It delivers local news, high school sports coverage, obituaries, opinion/editorial content, and classifieds through a print edition mailed via USPS twice weekly and a digital e-edition plus website. Revenue is generated via print and digital subscriptions, display advertising, and classified advertising.

Product overview

The Journal-News is a local newspaper serving Hillsboro, Illinois and surrounding Montgomery and Macoupin counties. The company operates a dual offering consisting of its core print newspaper (delivered via USPS 2 days a week) paired with a digital platform. The digital presence includes an E-Edition replicating the print layout online, a separate Digital Classifieds platform at classifieds.thejournal-news.net, and premium subscription content through Web Extras sections covering specialized topics like Tech, Health, Business, and Travel. The products work together to serve local community information needs across print and digital formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Journal-News Print Newspaper Traditional print newspaper delivered via USPS to subscribers in Montgomery and Macoupin counties, Illinois, available 2 days per week (Monday & Thursday) or 1 day per week. Covers local news, high school sports, obituaries, opinion, and community content for Hillsboro, Litchfield, Nokomis, Lincolnwood, and surrounding communities.
• The Journal-News E-Edition
• Journal-News Digital Classifieds

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Herald & Review (Decatur, IL): Regional daily newspaper serving central Illinois communities with print and digital subscriptions, classifieds, and local sports coverage. Comparable to The Journal-News as a mid-sized Illinois community paper with similar subscription + advertising model.
• The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL): Daily newspaper covering Bloomington-Normal and surrounding rural Illinois counties with print + digital editions and classifieds. Comparable peer in scale, geography, and product mix to a small-town Illinois local paper.
• Alton Telegraph: Local Illinois newspaper serving the Alton/Madison County region with print and digital subscriptions, local news, and classifieds. Closely comparable in business model and small-market Midwest positioning to The Journal-News.
• Shelbyville Daily Union: Small-town Illinois local newspaper covering Shelby County with print and digital editions. Direct peer in scale, geography, and traditional subscription-based local news model targeting downstate Illinois communities.

Broad incumbents

• State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL): Larger regional Illinois daily covering the state capital and Sangamon County. Overlaps with The Journal-News in covering Illinois community news but operates broader geographic scope and larger staff.
• Lee Enterprises: Publicly traded newspaper chain operating dozens of local dailies and weeklies across the Midwest, including nearby Illinois markets. A relevant incumbent that defines the competitive and operational template for small-market newspaper ownership.
• Gannett / USA TODAY Network: Largest US newspaper operator with extensive local newspaper portfolio including small-town papers. Comparable as a digital subscription + advertising operator, though at much larger scale and with broader product ecosystem.
• Ogden Newspapers: Family-owned newspaper group operating community dailies and weeklies across multiple states. Comparable to The Journal-News as a long-tenured, family-aligned local newspaper operator with similar small-market focus.

Others

• Creative Circle Media Solutions: Technology and services vendor providing the website platform that powers The Journal-News' digital presence. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler in small-market newspaper digital infrastructure rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Patch.com: Digital hyperlocal news network covering thousands of US communities with free local news and event listings. Competes with The Journal-News for local news attention in Montgomery and Macoupin county-level geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheJournalNews
• Xx.com/journalnewsil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Journal News