The Charlotte Post
The Charlotte Post Publishing Company is a Black-owned, family-operated weekly newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina's Black community since 1971, with print and digital subscriptions, a Triangle Tribune sister publication covering the Research Triangle, podcasts, newsletters, and advertising as its core revenue streams.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Charlotte Post does
The Charlotte Post Publishing Company, Inc. is a Black-owned, family-operated weekly newspaper headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, serving the local Black community through print and digital journalism. Founded in 1971 and owned by the Johnson family for more than 50 years, the company publishes The Charlotte Post weekly and operates The Triangle Tribune as a sister publication covering the Raleigh-Durham Research Triangle market. A nonprofit affiliate, the Post Foundation, layers community programming onto the publishing business. Editorial content is produced at notable scale, with 3,369 articles published, and extends across newsletters (four themed titles), podcasts (four shows), and social/community channels.
The business monetizes through three primary streams: print subscriptions (mail delivery and paper pickup locations), a separate digital E-Edition subscription tier, and advertising across print and digital surfaces. Subscription pricing is positioned at the affordable end of weekly community press benchmarks (print $65/year or $35/6-months; E-Edition $20/year or $13/6-months). Distribution combines physical pickup locations with digital delivery, supported by a standard publishing technology stack with no disclosed AI or proprietary platform components.
Operationally, the company is a private, independent family enterprise with 11-50 employees and no outside venture or private equity backing. Leadership is dominated by the Johnson family (Gerald Johnson as Publisher & CEO; Andre Johnson as COO; Linda Johnson as Director of Brand Content Marketing), supplemented by an editor in chief and a small editorial staff. The company is embedded in the national and statewide press ecosystem through memberships in NNPA, NCPA, MWBE, NC HUB, the Charlotte Chamber, the Greater Raleigh Chamber, the Greater Durham Chamber, and NCBPA, and is classified as a Historically Underutilized Business.
The Charlotte Post firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Charlotte Post
- Legal name
- The Charlotte Post Publishing Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://thecharlottepost.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Charlotte Post Publishing Company is a Black-owned, family-operated weekly newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina's Black community since 1971, with print and digital subscriptions, a Triangle Tribune sister publication covering the Research Triangle, podcasts, newsletters, and advertising as its core revenue streams.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Charlotte Post industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Newspaper Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB), Subscription & Fulfillment Services (Print & Digital) (MPAJAKAB)
Keywords
Where The Charlotte Post is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Charlotte Post business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Print Subscription Revenue: Weekly newspaper subscription mailed to subscribers, includes electronic edition
- Digital/E-Edition Subscription Revenue: Electronic edition subscription with automatic renewal at end of term
- Advertising Revenue: Display advertising, classifieds, and branded content marketing across print and digital platforms
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print Subscription - 1 year or 6 month with newspaper mailed weekly, includes electronic edition |
| Subscription | Annual | E-Edition Subscription Only - automatic renewal at end of term |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
The Charlotte Post product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Charlotte Post publishes and distributes a weekly newspaper (print and electronic edition) covering local, state, national, sports, health, arts & entertainment, and business news from a Black perspective for readers in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Paid print subscription includes weekly mail delivery plus the E-Edition; the E-Edition-only subscription delivers the digital paper by email. The publication is supported by display and classified advertising sold to businesses targeting the African American community, complemented by free themed newsletters and podcasts.
Product overview
The Charlotte Post is a Black-owned weekly newspaper serving the Charlotte, NC area since 1965, positioned as the Best Black News Publication in North Carolina. The core product is the weekly print newspaper, supplemented by digital offerings including E-Edition, four themed newsletters (News, Sports, Health, Soccer), and four podcasts (In Other Words, The Stump, Sports Charlotte, The Creatives). The publication covers local/state news, national news, sports (including Panthers, Hornets, HBCU, QCFC), life and religion, arts and entertainment, health, and business. Additional services include advertising packages, classifieds, photo albums, and an event calendar.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- In Other Words Podcast: Podcast covering news and commentary
- The Stump Podcast
- The Creatives Podcast
- Sports Charlotte Podcast
Products and services
- The Charlotte Post Print Subscription Weekly print newspaper mailed to the subscriber, bundled with access to the electronic edition delivered by email weekly; available in 1-year ($65) or 6-month ($35) terms, for individual readers wanting the printed Charlotte Post.
- E-Edition Digital Subscription Electronic-only newspaper subscription with weekly email delivery and automatic renewal at end of term; available in 1-year ($20) or 6-month ($13) terms, for individual digital-only readers.
- Advertising Services Display advertising, classifieds listings, branded content marketing, and online payment processing sold to local and regional businesses seeking to reach Black readers across the publication's print and digital channels.
Companies that use The Charlotte Post
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Charlotte Post technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Charlotte Post partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA)coreThe Charlotte Post is a member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a federation of Black-owned newspapers and media companies.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Charlotte Post competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Charlotte Observer: The Charlotte Observer is the mainstream daily newspaper serving the Charlotte metro. It overlaps with The Charlotte Post in local news coverage and advertising market but is a broad general-interest publication, not a niche Black-community outlet, and competes with The Charlotte Post only in the general advertising pool rather than the Black-press advertising niche.
Direct peers
- The Philadelphia Tribune: The Philadelphia Tribune is a long-standing Black-owned weekly newspaper serving the Philadelphia African American community. It is the closest direct peer to The Charlotte Post in terms of mission (Black community-focused news), weekly print product, and multi-format digital extensions including podcasts and newsletters.
- The Chicago Defender: The Chicago Defender is a historic Black newspaper serving the Chicago African American community. Shares The Charlotte Post's weekly-publication cadence (recently shifted to weekly), Black-community audience focus, and multi-channel digital distribution including podcasts and newsletters.
- New York Amsterdam News: The New York Amsterdam News is a historic African-American weekly newspaper covering local news, opinion, and community issues. It shares The Charlotte Post's weekly print + digital model and community-newspaper identity, though it operates in a much larger metro.
- The Atlanta Daily World: The Atlanta Daily World is one of the longest-running Black-owned daily newspapers in the US, focused on the African American community in Atlanta. Comparable to The Charlotte Post in mission and audience, with a longer publishing history and more recent digital expansion.
- The AFRO-American Newspaper: The AFRO-American is a multi-city Black-owned newspaper chain covering Baltimore, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and Richmond. Comparable business model to The Charlotte Post (Black-community weekly) but with a multi-city distribution footprint that The Charlotte Post aspires to via Triangle Tribune.
- The Washington Informer: The Washington Informer is a Black-owned weekly newspaper covering the D.C. metropolitan area. It is a direct peer in category, weekly print cadence, and Black-community audience positioning, with comparable digital extensions.
Emerging players
- Blavity Inc. Blavity is a digital-first Black media and entertainment network (Blavity, Shadow & Act, 21Ninety, etc.) targeting African American millennials. Comparable audience overlap and Black-community advertising pool to The Charlotte Post, but a fundamentally different (digital-only, scalable) business model competing for the same advertiser dollars.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Charlotte Post social profiles
Digital presenceThe Charlotte Post financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Charlotte Post leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Charlotte Post subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
The Charlotte Post funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Charlotte Post 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 Charlotte Post
What does The Charlotte Post do?
The Charlotte Post publishes and distributes a weekly newspaper (print and electronic edition) covering local, state, national, sports, health, arts & entertainment, and business news from a Black perspective for readers in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Paid print subscription includes weekly mail delivery plus the E-Edition; the E-Edition-only subscription delivers the digital paper by email. The publication is supported by display and classified advertising sold to businesses targeting the African American community, complemented by free themed newsletters and podcasts.
Is The Charlotte Post a public or private company?
The Charlotte Post is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Charlotte Post founded?
The Charlotte Post was founded in 1971. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Charlotte Post based?
The Charlotte Post is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Charlotte Post make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Print Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are digital/E-Edition Subscription Revenue and advertising Revenue.
Who are The Charlotte Post's main competitors?
The Charlotte Observer is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are The Philadelphia Tribune, The Chicago Defender, New York Amsterdam News, The Atlanta Daily World, The AFRO-American Newspaper and The Washington Informer. Blavity Inc. is listed as an emerging player.
Does The Charlotte Post have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Charlotte Post.
What industry is The Charlotte Post in?
The Charlotte Post's product category is Community Newspaper Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAG, Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers, with a secondary code of MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.