Journal Record

What Journal Record does

Journal Record is a weekly print and digital newspaper serving Marion County, Alabama, established in the early 1970s and operated under Mid-South Newspapers, Inc., a privately held family-owned publishing company also responsible for the Northwest Alabamian (Winston County). The newspaper publishes every Wednesday with a circulation of approximately 8,500 households, covering local news, community events, sports, obituaries, editorials, classifieds, and legal notices. Its technology stack is a traditional offset press workflow using computer-to-plate composition, accepting PDF, EPS, and pre-separated files at 1270 dpi / 85-100lpi output, with a digital e-edition replica hosted via etype.services and RSS feed distribution.

Revenue is generated across five streams: print advertising (open rate $7.50/column inch, declining to $6.20/column inch at 258-column-inch volume), classified reader ads ($0.32/word with $10 minimum), pre-printed insert distribution ($50-$80 per M depending on tabloid page count), legally mandated public and legal notices from government entities, and recurring e-edition digital subscriptions. Customer segments are local Marion County residents (primary), small and medium local retail businesses (advertisers), local government agencies (legal notice buyers), and funeral homes (obituary placement). Distribution is through mail delivery to 8,500 households, the etype.services digital edition, and a national advertising sales representative (American Newspapers Representatives) for out-of-Market ad accounts. The company operates with 11-50 employees across two offices: the Hamilton headquarters at PO Drawer 1477 and a Haleyville printing facility at 1530 21st Street.

Name

Journal Record

Legal name

Mid-South Newspapers, Inc.

Website

https://myjrpaper.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Journal Record is a weekly print and digital newspaper serving Marion County, Alabama, with a circulation of approximately 8,500 households. It generates revenue from local print advertising, classifieds, pre-printed inserts, legal notices, and e-edition subscriptions, serving local residents, SMB advertisers, and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Community news reporting
• Legal notice publication
• Classified advertising sales
• Pre-printed insert distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Haleyville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Advertising: Retail advertising sold by column inch with volume-based tiered rates (open rate $7.50, bulk rates down to $6.20 per column inch). Includes classified display, legal notices, and display advertising.
2. Classified Advertising: Reader ads charged at 0.32 cents per word with $10 minimum. Classified display at ROP rates.
3. Pre-printed Insert Distribution: Flyers and tabloids delivered with newspaper; rates from $50M to $80M depending on page count; zoned inserts add $5 per M.
4. E-edition Subscriptions: Digital edition subscription service with RSS feed availability
5. Legal Notices: Public notices for government, probate court, mortgage foreclosures, and legal advertisements

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Journal Record publishes a weekly community newspaper and corresponding e-edition covering Marion County, Alabama, with local news, sports, editorials, obituaries, classifieds, and legal notices. It sells display, classified, color, and pre-printed insert advertising to local businesses and government entities, and distributes the print edition by mail and digitally online.

Product overview

Journal Record is a local print and digital newspaper serving Marion County, Alabama. The publication operates as a traditional news organization offering a single core product: the Journal Record newspaper, available in both print and digital (e-edition) formats. The newspaper covers local news, sports, editorials, obituaries, classifieds, legal notices, and community events. The publication is affiliated with Mid-South Newspapers, Inc. and partners with the Alabama Press Association.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Journal Record Print Newspaper Weekly print newspaper published on Wednesdays serving Marion County, Alabama, with local news, sports, editorials, obituaries, classifieds, and legal notices, distributed by mail to approximately 8,500 households.
• Journal Record E-Edition Digital subscription version of the Journal Record accessible online, offering the same content as the print edition in electronic format with RSS feed availability.
• Display and Classified Advertising Column-inch display advertising and per-word classified reader ads sold to local SMBs and individuals, with volume-based tiered rates, color surcharges, and consistency/contract discounts for multi-week insertion commitments.
• Pre-printed Insert Distribution
• Legal Notice Publication

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alabama Press AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProfessional newspaper association partnership providing industry representation and credibility for Journal Record
• Alabama Public NoticecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for publishing local, county and state government notices and public information
• American Newspapers RepresentativesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational advertising sales representative (84 S. 6th ST #601, Minneapolis, MN 55402, 1-800-341-7959) for national/regional advertising accounts
• Mid-South Newspapers, Inc.coreOthersParent corporation headquartered in Haleyville, AL that owns Journal Record and Northwest Alabamian newspapers; Journal Record established early 1970s, incorporated with Northwest Alabamian (established 1906) in early 1960s

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Lee Enterprises: Large U.S. newspaper chain operating hundreds of daily and weekly community newspapers across multiple states. Relevant broader incumbent showing what scaled, multi-paper community news operations look like; Journal Record sits in the same broad category but is family-owned and unconsolidated.
• Ogden Newspapers: Multi-state community newspaper group operating daily and weekly papers across the U.S. Comparable as an incumbent operator in the small-market community newspaper segment that Journal Record competes in, with similar product offerings (print, e-edition, classifieds, legal notices).

Direct peers

• The Decatur Daily: Daily community newspaper serving Morgan and Lawrence counties in northern Alabama. Comparable local news and advertising publisher in the same Alabama media market with overlapping GTM motion including print ads, classifieds, and public notices.
• Daily Mountain Eagle: Community newspaper serving nearby Walker County, Alabama. Comparable small-market Alabama local paper covering county news, sports, obituaries, and legal notices, with a similar mix of print advertising, classifieds, and government public-notice revenue.
• The Hartselle Enquirer: Small weekly community newspaper serving Morgan County, Alabama. Closely comparable to Journal Record in scale, weekly frequency, rural North Alabama geography, and traditional print-plus-digital business model.
• Cullman Times: Local newspaper serving Cullman County, Alabama. Closely comparable Alabama community paper with similar product mix (print, e-edition, legal notices, classifieds, local sports and government coverage) and customer segments.
• Northwest Alabamian: Sister publication under Mid-South Newspapers, Inc., also a weekly community newspaper serving neighboring Winston County, Alabama (7,500 circulation). Both papers are printed at the same Haleyville facility, making Northwest Alabamian the closest operational and product peer.
• Gadsden Times: Regional newspaper serving Etowah County in northeast Alabama. Comparable Alabama community newspaper with analogous print/digital mix, advertising rate-card model, and public-notice franchise.
• TimesDaily: Regional daily newspaper serving the Florence/Northwest Alabama area. Comparable community newspaper publisher in northern Alabama with similar local news, advertising, and legal-notice model, though larger scale and daily frequency.

Others

• Alabama Press Association: Industry trade association of which Journal Record is a member, representing Alabama newspapers. Included as an ecosystem peer given it provides industry representation, legal-notice partnerships, and the credibility infrastructure that Journal Record relies on.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/journal-record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Journal Record