The Badger Herald
The Badger Herald is an independent, student-run newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, founded in 1969. It publishes campus, Madison, Wisconsin, sports, and arts coverage via a WordPress website, print editions, multimedia, and social channels, funded by local advertising and reader donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Badger Herald does
The Badger Herald is an independent, student-run newspaper serving the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and the broader Madison, Wisconsin community. Founded in 1969 and currently in Volume 57, the publication produces original reporting across campus news, City of Madison, State of Wisconsin, science, investigative pieces, features, opinion, comprehensive UW-Madison athletics coverage (women's, men's, and club sports), arts and culture (ArtsEtc), opinion columns, and a Banter section.
The publication operates on a WordPress-based digital publishing platform at badgerherald.com, supplemented by print editions, multimedia output (video, podcasts, short-form content), and an active presence across Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, and an email newsletter. Content is delivered without a paywall. The underlying technology stack is commodity — WordPress plus standard social-media integrations — with no proprietary platform features, APIs, or AI capabilities disclosed.
The business model is structured around two revenue streams: display and sponsored-content advertising from local and campus-area businesses targeting the student and Madison readership, and reader donations offered across multiple cadences (annual, per-semester, monthly, one-time). There is no paid subscription model and no disclosed enterprise customer base. The organization is privately held with no parent company, no venture or private equity investment, and no subsidiaries. Headcount of 51-100 predominantly reflects the student editorial and operational staff characteristic of the model. Go-to-market is community-led: audience growth and donor acquisition are driven by campus-focused content and social media engagement rather than paid acquisition.
The Badger Herald firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Badger Herald
- Legal name
- The Badger Herald
- Website
- https://badgerherald.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Badger Herald is an independent, student-run newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, founded in 1969. It publishes campus, Madison, Wisconsin, sports, and arts coverage via a WordPress website, print editions, multimedia, and social channels, funded by local advertising and reader donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Badger Herald industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Student Newspaper
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Media & Publications (Newspaper, Radio, TV) (EDALAHAE)
Keywords
Where The Badger Herald is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Badger Herald business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Advertising: The website displays advertisements including display ads and sponsored content placements. Revenue is generated from local and campus-area businesses advertising to the student and Madison community readership.
- Donations and Support: Reader donations and support programs including annual, per-semester, monthly, and one-time donation options. The publication actively campaigns for reader support to fund independent student journalism.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Donation-based support model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
The Badger Herald product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Badger Herald is an independent student newspaper that publishes original journalism covering UW-Madison campus news, City of Madison, State of Wisconsin, science, investigative pieces, sports, arts, and opinion content. It delivers content via a digital news website (badgerherald.com), periodic print editions, and multimedia formats (video, podcasts, short-form), and is supported by reader donations and advertising revenue.
Product overview
The Badger Herald is a single-product independent student newspaper offering digital news content across multiple content formats and topic areas. The core offering is the news website (badgerherald.com) which publishes original reporting on UW-Madison campus news, City of Madison, State of Wisconsin, science news, and investigative journalism. Supporting products include a Print Edition with archived past issues, Multimedia Content (video, podcasts, short-form), a comprehensive Sports section covering all UW-Madison athletic programs, an ArtsEtc section for arts and culture coverage, and an Opinion section with columns and op-eds. The organization also offers supplementary services including donation/support programs for reader funding and advertising services for local businesses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Badger Herald News Website The primary digital news platform providing independent student journalism covering UW-Madison campus, City of Madison, State of Wisconsin, science news, and investigative reporting for students and the Madison community.
- Print Edition Physical newspaper publication featuring investigative features, campus news, and editorial content, with past editions available digitally.
- Donation/Support Program Financial support program offering annual, per-semester, monthly, and one-time donation options for readers to fund independent student journalism.
- Advertising Services Marketing and advertising opportunities for businesses to reach UW-Madison students and the Madison community through display ads and sponsored content placements on the website.
Companies that use The Badger Herald
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Badger Herald technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Badger Herald partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Badger Herald competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Daily Cardinal: The other major independent student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, publishing since 1892. Competes head-to-head with The Badger Herald for the same on-campus readership, ad dollars, and donor base.
- The Stanford Daily: Large, well-funded student newspaper at Stanford University with a similar multi-section editorial structure (news, opinion, sports, arts) and a comparable donation/advertising revenue model.
- The Michigan Daily: Independent daily student newspaper at the University of Michigan covering campus, city, state, and Big Ten athletics. Highly comparable in scale, scope, and audience model to The Badger Herald.
- The Harvard Crimson: Daily student newspaper at Harvard University with comprehensive news, opinion, sports, and arts sections plus an active multimedia operation—an analogous editorial and revenue model.
- The Daily Northwestern: Editorially independent student daily serving Northwestern University covering campus and Evanston community. Closely comparable in structure, audience mix (students plus local residents), and reader-supported funding.
- The Daily Californian: Independent student newspaper at UC Berkeley with a broad section mix including investigative, opinion, sports, and arts/anonymous columns—a comparable large-campus student paper with advertiser-plus-donor revenue mix.
- The Cavalier Daily: Independent student newspaper at the University of Virginia with multi-section coverage and a donor-supported model. Similar scope and operational scale to a flagship-state-university paper like the Badger Herald.
- The Cornell Daily Sun: Independent daily student newspaper at Cornell University operating since 1880 with comprehensive news, sports, arts, and opinion coverage—analogous founding-era longevity and revenue model.
Broad incumbents
- Wisconsin State Journal: The dominant professional daily newspaper in Madison, WI. Operates in the same local market as The Badger Herald, competing for Madison-area readers and advertisers and serving as a natural scale benchmark.
Others
- Student Press Law Center: National nonprofit providing legal aid, resources, and advocacy for student journalists. Comparable as an ecosystem participant supporting independent student media operations like The Badger Herald.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Badger Herald social profiles
Digital presenceThe Badger Herald financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Badger Herald leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Badger Herald funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Badger Herald 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 Badger Herald
What does The Badger Herald do?
The Badger Herald is an independent student newspaper that publishes original journalism covering UW-Madison campus news, City of Madison, State of Wisconsin, science, investigative pieces, sports, arts, and opinion content. It delivers content via a digital news website (badgerherald.com), periodic print editions, and multimedia formats (video, podcasts, short-form), and is supported by reader donations and advertising revenue.
Is The Badger Herald a public or private company?
The Badger Herald is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Badger Herald founded?
The Badger Herald was founded in 1969. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Badger Herald based?
The Badger Herald is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Badger Herald make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are donations and Support.
Who are The Badger Herald's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Daily Cardinal, The Stanford Daily, The Michigan Daily, The Harvard Crimson, The Daily Northwestern, The Daily Californian, The Cavalier Daily and The Cornell Daily Sun. Wisconsin State Journal is listed as a broad incumbent. Student Press Law Center is listed as an others.
Does The Badger Herald have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Badger Herald.
What industry is The Badger Herald in?
The Badger Herald's product category is Student Newspaper. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALAHAE, Student Media & Publications (Newspaper, Radio, TV). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.