South Dakota Newspaper Association

What South Dakota Newspaper Association does

The South Dakota Newspaper Association, formally the South Dakota NewsMedia Association (SDNA), is a 1882-founded, member-governed trade association headquartered in Brookings, South Dakota, that serves the state's newspapers and digital news outlets. Its core products are advertising placement services consolidated into three statewide networks — the Print Display Ad Network (99 newspapers, with East River and West River regional targeting), the Statewide Classified Network (90 publications, ~400,000 readers, flat $150 for a 25-word ad), and the Digital Ad Network (25+ newspaper websites, $300 for 30 days) — plus a press release distribution service ($75 per release to all South Dakota news outlets), a public notice placement service for legal newspapers, and a news clipping service delivered through a Newz Group partnership. The association also operates the South Dakota NewsMedia Foundation Store, selling branded merchandise whose proceeds fund journalism education and professional development through the affiliated nonprofit South Dakota NewsMedia Foundation (organized in 2010).

SDNA earns revenue on a transaction-fee and subscription-dues basis: advertisers and PR professionals pay per placement or per release, while member newspapers pay recurring membership dues that unlock services, networking, contests, and advocacy. Go-to-market is sales-led through a small in-house advertising staff (Advertising Sales Director and Placement Coordinator) supported by direct member communications, an annual convention, and the Better Newspapers Contest. Public notices are coordinated through a single-point contact with affidavit handling, and the cooperative sdpublicnotices.com site aggregates government notices across member publications. The technology stack is light: a Wix-hosted website, standard IAB banner sizes, and no disclosed AI, API, or proprietary platform layer.

The organization is governed by a member-elected board (with Carson Walker, CEO of South Dakota News Watch, serving as 2026-2027 Board President) under Executive Director David Bordewyk, with a staff of approximately 1-10. There are no parent companies, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity in the data; South Dakota NewsMedia Services Inc. (SDNS) is described as a business affiliate rather than a parent.

Name

South Dakota Newspaper Association

Legal name

South Dakota NewsMedia Association

Website

https://sdna.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The South Dakota Newspaper Association (SDNA), founded in 1882 and based in Brookings, is a member-governed trade association representing South Dakota newspapers and digital news outlets, offering statewide advertising placement networks, press release distribution, public notice services, and membership-driven advocacy and professional development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Placement Services: Custom advertising placement across South Dakota newspapers, including statewide advertising networks (Print Display Ad Network, Statewide Classified Network, Digital Ad Network). Handles placement in one to hundreds of newspapers statewide.
2. Press Release Distribution: Press release distribution service to all South Dakota news outlets for $75 per release. Discounts available for multiple releases.
3. Public Notice Placement: Public notice placement service to legal newspapers across South Dakota. Single invoice and coordination for multi-newspaper placements.
4. Merchandise Sales: South Dakota NewsMedia Foundation Store sells branded merchandise (stickers, t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats) to support journalism education and professional development.
5. Membership Dues: Trade association representing South Dakota newspapers and digital news outlets. Membership provides access to services, networking, contests, and advocacy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SDNA is a full-service trade association representing South Dakota newspapers and digital news outlets. It sells statewide advertising placement networks (Print Display Ad Network across 99 newspapers, Statewide Classified Network in 90 papers, and Digital Ad Network on 25+ newspaper websites), press release distribution ($75 per release), and legal public notice placement, plus member services and a branded merchandise store supporting journalism education.

Product overview

The South Dakota Newspaper Association (SDNA) operates as a full-service trade association offering a portfolio of newspaper and digital advertising services plus branded merchandise. The core offerings consist of advertising placement services across statewide networks (Print Display Ad Network for display ads in 99 newspapers, Statewide Classified Network reaching 90 publications, and Digital Ad Network covering 25+ newspaper websites), press release distribution to all South Dakota media outlets, public notice placement services, and news clipping services through a partnership with Newz Group. The association also operates the South Dakota NewsMedia Foundation Store, which sells branded merchandise including the Local News (Heart) line of stickers, trucker hats, sweatshirts, and t-shirts, as well as 'Support Matters' apparel. The merchandise sales fund journalism education and professional development initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Advertising Placement Service Service that places advertisements across one or multiple South Dakota newspapers. Handles the entire ad placement process including selecting newspapers, run dates, and invoicing, for advertisers and agencies seeking South Dakota coverage.
• Print Display Ad Network Statewide advertising network offering 2x2, 2x4, and 3x5 display ad sizes across 99 newspapers, with options for East River (77 newspapers) or West River (22 newspapers) regional targeting.
• Statewide Classified Network Classified advertising network placing 25-word ads in 90 participating newspapers reaching approximately 400,000 readers for a flat fee of $150.
• Digital Ad Network Digital advertising network featuring ads on 25+ daily and weekly newspaper websites for 30 days, including both 300x250 box and 728x90 banner placements for $300.
• Press Release Distribution Service Service that distributes press releases to all South Dakota news outlets including newspapers and broadcast outlets within minutes. Fee is $75 per release with discounts available for multiple releases.
• Public Notice Placement Service Service for placing legal public notices in all legal newspapers in South Dakota. Handles submission, scheduling, confirmation, and invoicing with affidavits from each publication.
• Clipping Service News tracking and monitoring service provided through Newz Group partnership, allowing members to track news coverage from South Dakota newspapers.
• South Dakota NewsMedia Foundation Store Merchandise store selling branded apparel and accessories including stickers, hats, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. Proceeds benefit the South Dakota NewsMedia Foundation supporting journalism education and professional development.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• South Dakota State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame is administered by SDNA and located in the lobby of Anson and Ada May Yeager Journalism Hall on the campus of South Dakota State University. Partnership supports journalism education and professional recognition.
• South Dakota NewsMedia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit corporation organized in 2010 for promotion and betterment of journalism and newspapers in South Dakota. SDNA sells merchandise through the Foundation store to support education and professional development.
• South Dakota Newspapers (Member Publications)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAll South Dakota newspapers cooperate to host a website listing government public notices previously published in newspapers across the state. Members access SDNA services and represent the association's core constituency.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Minnesota Newspaper Association: A neighboring state newspaper trade association offering analogous advertising placement networks, public-notice services, press release distribution, and membership programs for Minnesota newspapers — directly comparable in structure, services, and member-cooperative model.
• Iowa Newspaper Association: State-level newspaper trade association providing advertising placement, public notices, and member services to Iowa newspapers — same nonprofit trade-association structure with comparable ad-network and press release products.
• Nebraska Press Association: State press association serving Nebraska newspapers with advertising placement services, public notices, and advocacy — directly comparable in scale, geography, and product mix to SDNA.
• North Dakota Newspaper Association: Trade association for North Dakota newspapers providing ad networks, public notice placement, and member services — operates as a near-identical peer given similar regional market size and structure.
• California News Publishers Association: California statewide newspaper trade association offering advertising services, public notice placement, and member programs — same business model as SDNA but at much larger scale, useful as an upside-scaling benchmark.

Broad incumbents

• National Newspaper Association: National U.S. trade association for community newspapers offering advocacy, training, and member services — broader geographic scope than SDNA but overlapping membership and mission.
• America's Newspapers: National industry organization formed from the merger of the Newspaper Association of America and Inland Press Association — serves overlapping newspaper constituencies and offers comparable ad-network and advocacy services at national scale.
• Lee Enterprises: Large multi-state newspaper publisher whose subsidiary publications (including the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls) are SDNA members — competes/overlaps in statewide advertising reach at a much larger organizational scale.

Emerging players

• PR Newswire: National press release distribution platform that competes with SDNA's $75 press release service — overlaps on the press-release distribution use case for SD advertisers seeking broader (out-of-state) reach.

Others

• Newz Group: Existing SDNA partner that provides newspaper clipping/monitoring services to SDNA members — adjacent technology partner with overlapping end-customers; useful as a benchmark for adjacent service economics.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJlMjaVMLlpPWLcBHo7Jr7w
• Facebookfacebook.com/S.D.newsmediaorgs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 South Dakota Newspaper Association