Wednesday Journal

What Wednesday Journal does

Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest is a private, nonprofit hyperlocal news organization founded in 1980 and headquartered in Oak Park, Illinois. It serves residents and local businesses in Oak Park, River Forest, and an expanding set of neighboring Cook County communities including Austin, Brookfield, Forest Park, and Riverside. Editorial coverage spans local government, education, immigration, arts, police and fire, business, homes, sports, opinion, and community events.

Its core products are a website at oakpark.com built on the Newspack content management system, a weekly print newspaper, free email newsletters distributed through Mailchimp, and special advertising-supported sections such as the Eats community guide. Distribution extends across web, print, newsletters, social media (Facebook, X, Instagram), and an event submission pipe via evvnt. The organization does not operate a mobile app or an API.

Wednesday Journal generates revenue from three streams: recurring reader donations and fundraising (with suggested monthly tiers of $10, $25, and $50, plus an annual $120 option), digital and print advertising sold to local small and mid-sized businesses, and paid print subscriptions for weekly newspaper delivery. The publication operates on a community-supported, donor- and advertiser-funded nonprofit model, with no disclosed venture or institutional funding. In early 2025 the organization became part of NEWSWELL, a nonprofit umbrella dedicated to sustaining community news, which now positions it within a broader multi-outlet network alongside Austin Weekly News, Forest Park Review, and Riverside-Brookfield Landmark.

Name

Wednesday Journal

Legal name

NEWSWELL

Website

https://oakpark.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wednesday Journal is a nonprofit hyperlocal news outlet serving Oak Park, River Forest, and neighboring Cook County communities with a website, weekly print edition, and free email newsletters, funded by reader donations and local advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Hyperlocal news
• Local journalism
• Community news
• Print newspaper
• Digital publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Reader donations and monthly giving programs to support local journalism. The organization runs periodic fundraising campaigns with suggested donation amounts.
2. Advertising: Digital and print advertising options offered to local businesses, including special sections and community guides.
3. Print Subscriptions: Weekly print newspaper subscription for physical delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wednesday Journal is a hyperlocal news organization that publishes in-depth reporting on issues affecting Oak Park and River Forest, Illinois, across categories including local government, education, arts, business, immigration, police and fire, and homes. Its core offering consists of an online news website (oakpark.com), a weekly print newspaper edition, and free email newsletters that deliver local news and community information to readers. The organization also sells digital and print advertising, plus special themed sections and community guides, to local businesses.

Product overview

Wednesday Journal is a hyperlocal news organization serving Oak Park and River Forest, Illinois, operating as a multi-platform news outlet. The core offering consists of an online news website delivering in-depth reporting across categories including local government, education, arts, business, immigration, police and fire, and homes. The publication also produces a weekly print edition distributed to subscribers and newsstands. Additional offerings include free email newsletters for regular updates, digital and print advertising options for local businesses, and special sections such as community guides and themed publications like Eats 2026. The organization recently became part of NEWSWELL, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening community news.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wednesday Journal Online News Site A hyperlocal news website committed to in-depth reporting on issues concerning Oak Park and River Forest, Illinois. Features news articles, opinion pieces, community coverage, and breaking news across multiple categories. Targeted at local residents.
• Print Edition Weekly print newspaper edition providing local news coverage in physical format for subscribers and newsstand purchasers.
• Email Newsletters Free email newsletters delivering regular updates, breaking news, and community information directly to subscribers' inboxes.
• Digital Advertising Online advertising options available to businesses for promoting products and services on the Wednesday Journal website and digital platforms.
• Print Advertising Traditional print advertising space available in the physical newspaper editions for local businesses.
• Special Sections and Community Guides Special advertising sections featuring themed content such as Eats 2026, community guides, and seasonal publications.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NEWSWELLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025In early 2025, Wednesday Journal became part of NEWSWELL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening and sustaining community news across the country. This transition positions the organization for greater long-term stability while continuing its mission of local journalism serving Oak Park and River Forest.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Block Club Chicago: A nonprofit, reader-funded hyperlocal digital news outlet covering Chicago neighborhoods. Comparable donation/subscription revenue model, multi-channel distribution, and deep community-led GTM targeting a defined urban footprint.
• Forest Park Review: A sister hyperlocal news publication under NEWSWELL covering Forest Park, Illinois. Same nonprofit operating model, donation and advertising revenue mix, and adjacent suburban coverage area to Wednesday Journal.
• The Chicago Reporter: A nonprofit investigative news outlet covering race, poverty, and inequality in metropolitan Chicago. Comparable nonprofit community journalism model with donor-supported revenue and Chicago-area geographic adjacency.
• Austin Weekly News: A sibling hyperlocal publication under the NEWSWELL umbrella serving the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side. Directly comparable nonprofit community journalism model, multi-platform distribution, and recent structural integration with Wednesday Journal.
• City Bureau: A nonprofit civic journalism organization based in Chicago producing local reporting and documenters-program stories. Comparable donor-funded nonprofit local news model with strong community engagement orientation.
• Riverside-Brookfield Landmark: A sister community newspaper under NEWSWELL serving Riverside and Brookfield, Illinois. Comparable weekly print plus digital format, local government and school coverage focus, and overlapping nonprofit donor-supported economics.

Broad incumbents

• Patch.com: A national hyperlocal news network operating thousands of local sites, including suburbs of Chicago. Comparable hyperlocal coverage model at scale but operating as a for-profit, advertising-driven platform rather than a nonprofit donor-funded outlet.
• Daily Herald (Suburban Chicago): A large established suburban Chicago daily newspaper covering Oak Park and River Forest among many suburbs. Provides overlapping local news coverage but at significantly larger scale and as a for-profit legacy publisher.

Emerging players

• Capitol News Illinois: A nonprofit statewide news cooperative serving local Illinois papers with statehouse and policy reporting. Comparable nonprofit, donor-supported news model with Illinois geographic adjacency but operating as a wholesale newsroom rather than a community-facing outlet.
• Chalkbeat Chicago: A nonprofit news outlet covering education policy and schools, including in Chicago. Comparable nonprofit donor-supported local journalism, though focused on a single beat rather than a geographic community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OakPark
• Facebookfacebook.com/wednesdayjournalinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/wednesdayjournal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wednesday-journal-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Wednesday Journal