Community Journals

What Community Journals does

Community Journals, LLC is a privately held, full-service content studio and integrated media company headquartered at 581 Perry Avenue in Greenville, South Carolina, founded in 1999 and operating as Community Journals Media Group. The company produces and distributes a portfolio of six publications serving the Upstate South Carolina market: Greenville Journal (a weekly community newspaper in magazine format), Upstate Business Journal (monthly business coverage), TOWN (luxury lifestyle), atHome (home design quarterly with the area's largest hand-delivered circulation), Forces of Philanthropy (nonprofit showcase), and Explore 864 (Greenville insider's guide), plus the newer VIVE lifestyle title. Distribution spans over 1,178 newsstand locations across Upstate SC, select North Carolina and Atlanta outlets, paid print subscriptions, and free e-newsletters.

The company monetizes through five primary revenue streams: print advertising, digital advertising (programmatic display, geofencing, SEM, social, streaming audio, OTT/CTV, email), creative and marketing services (brand strategy, photography/videography, traditional advertising, website design), print subscriptions, and custom publications. It also produces custom publications for businesses and organizations. Pricing is quote-based and bundled, with multi-year contracts common for advertisers. The go-to-market is a team-based direct sales motion with media executives and client services managers selling to local and regional SMBs, paired with a DTC subscription and free e-newsletter channel for consumers.

The company is led by President & CEO Mark B. Johnston and Chairman Douglas J. Greenlaw, supported by a COO/VP of Content, Controller, and approximately 25 listed team members spanning editorial, creative, digital, client services, and operations, within an overall 101-250 employee band. There is no public listing, no disclosed funding events, no institutional investors, no parent company, and no acquisitions or divestitures in the source materials. The operating footprint remains regional, focused on Upstate SC, with only light distribution expansion into North Carolina and Atlanta.

Name

Community Journals

Legal name

Community Journals, LLC

Website

https://communityjournals.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Community Journals is a Greenville, South Carolina-based full-service content studio and media company operating six print and digital publications and integrated marketing services for local businesses and consumers across Upstate South Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Media and Advertising

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (51312), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Local newspapers
• Community magazines
• Local advertising
• Print media
• Marketing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenville

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print Advertising: Sale of advertising space in print publications including Greenville Journal, Upstate Business Journal, TOWN Magazine, and atHome Magazine. Advertisers purchase placements based on circulation and demographic reach.
2. Digital Advertising: Digital marketing services including programmatic display, geofencing, search engine marketing, social media advertising, streaming audio/TV (OTT). Revenue from digital ad campaigns and services.
3. Marketing Services: Professional services including branded photography, videography, brand strategy, creative design, website design, and content creation for business clients.
4. Print Subscriptions: Revenue from paid print subscriptions for publications delivered directly to subscribers.
5. Custom Publications: Custom publication creation and production services for businesses and organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Community Journals is a local media company based in Greenville, South Carolina that publishes community-focused newspapers and magazines. In addition to editorial content, the company sells advertising space and marketing services to local businesses seeking to reach area readers.

Product overview

Community Journals is a full-service content studio and media company that operates a portfolio of print and digital publications alongside integrated marketing services. The core product portfolio includes six named publications: Greenville Journal (weekly community newspaper), Upstate Business Journal (monthly business coverage), TOWN (lifestyle magazine), atHome (home design magazine), Forces of Philanthropy (nonprofit showcase), and Explore 864 (local guide). These publications are complemented by a suite of digital marketing services including SEO, SEM, programmatic display, geofencing, social media advertising, email marketing, streaming audio/TV advertising, and website design, as well as creative services such as photography/videography, traditional advertising, and brand strategy. The company serves businesses in Greenville, SC and the broader Upstate South Carolina region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Greenville Journal: Community coverage newspaper published weekly in magazine format focusing on local news and views in Upstate South Carolina.
• Upstate Business Journal
• TOWN Magazine
• atHome
• Forces of Philanthropy
• Explore 864
• VIVE

Products and services

• Community Newspapers Locally-focused newspapers covering Greenville, SC area news, community events, and editorial content for area readers.
• Community Magazines Locally-focused magazines featuring community lifestyle, culture, and area editorial content for residents of the Greenville region.
• Local Advertising and Marketing Services Print and digital advertising placements, plus marketing services, sold to local businesses that want to reach Greenville-area consumers through the company's publications and online channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• atHome has the largest hand-delivered circulation in the area
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Community Foundation of GreenvilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity News Fund for Greenville/Upstate SC has been established through the nonprofit Community Foundation of Greenville to provide funding for additional coverage of local topics and initiatives that are undercovered, overlooked or neglected. The fund is overseen by an independent advisory committee.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rawle Murdy Associates: Charleston, SC-based integrated marketing agency with branding, digital, PR, and creative services. Comparable to Community Journals' agency business serving regional clients with full-service marketing capabilities.
• Chernoff Newman: Columbia, SC-based advertising, PR, and digital marketing agency serving regional and national clients. Comparable full-service agency model with deep South Carolina roots, similar to Community Journals' integrated services arm.
• The Brandon Agency: Myrtle Beach, SC-based integrated marketing agency offering branding, digital marketing, and creative services. Comparable to Community Journals' agency-side offering in the same regional market with similar SMB advertiser focus.
• 6AM City: Charleston, SC-based hyperlocal newsletter publisher serving 90+ U.S. markets. Directly comparable digital-first community media model targeting the same type of engaged local audience and local advertisers that Community Journals serves in Upstate SC.

Broad incumbents

• Gannett: Largest U.S. newspaper publisher (USA TODAY, local dailies including Greenville News). Operates community/local publications in overlapping Upstate SC geography through Greenville News and Anderson Independent-Mail; a broad incumbent in the same local media category.
• Adams Publishing Group: Regional newspaper and media company publishing community newspapers, magazines, and digital products across multiple U.S. states. Comparable community-newspaper publishing portfolio model at broader scale.
• Ogden Newspapers: Family-owned regional newspaper company operating daily and weekly community newspapers across multiple states. Comparable multi-title community newspaper model with similar regional/local advertiser focus.
• Boone Newspapers: Family-owned operator of community newspapers and digital media properties across the U.S. Southeast and Midwest. Comparable community-newspaper portfolio and operating philosophy with established local titles.
• Lee Enterprises: Major U.S. regional newspaper publisher operating daily and weekly community papers across multiple states. Comparable to Community Journals' community newspaper publishing core business, though Lee operates at much larger scale across many markets.

Regional players

• The Post and Courier: Charleston-based daily newspaper (and South Carolina's largest) that has expanded into adjacent SC markets including Greenville. Direct regional competitor for local news audiences and regional advertising dollars in South Carolina.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-journals-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Community Journals