The Herald-News

What The Herald-News does

The Herald-News is a community newspaper serving Rhea County, Tennessee, and surrounding areas, headquartered in Dayton, TN at 1475 Market St. Founded in 1898, it is a privately held subsidiary of Adams Publishing Group, a regional newspaper conglomerate operating across Tennessee and North Carolina. The publication delivers print editions on Wednesday and Sunday within its distribution area and offers extended reach via U.S. Mail in selected areas. Its core product is the biweekly print newspaper covering local news, sports, obituaries, lifestyles, community events, police reports, and public notices.

The Herald-News operates a multi-platform portfolio that includes the print newspaper, an e-Edition digital replica, a mobile application for iOS and Android, online classifieds, a local business directory (Marketplace), and email newsletters. The website is powered by BLOX Content Management System (BLOX CMS) from BLOX Digital, with subscription services managed through the Adams Publishing Group's shared Newzware/SS70v2 platform. No proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or APIs are indicated; the technology stack is standard regional newspaper publishing infrastructure.

The company's revenue model is diversified across print and online subscriptions (recurring, with auto-renewal and E-Z Pay monthly billing), a $1.99 Day Pass for single-day digital access, premium editions at up to $3 each, classified advertising, and display/retail advertising for local businesses. Customer segments are Rhea County residents (consumers) and local businesses (advertisers), with no enterprise or out-of-market customers. The company has 1-10 employees and operates exclusively within a single rural county market, with no evidence of geographic expansion, funding activity, or M&A.

Name

The Herald-News

Legal name

The Herald-News

Website

https://rheaheraldnews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Herald-News is a community newspaper serving Rhea County, Tennessee, founded in 1898 and owned by Adams Publishing Group. It delivers print editions twice weekly and operates an e-Edition, mobile app, classifieds, and local advertising serving county residents and businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Local newspaper
• Community news
• Print journalism
• Online news
• Classified advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

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. Print Subscriptions: Print delivery available within newspaper distribution area, delivered Wednesday and Sunday. Subscription automatically renews at end of term.
2. Online Subscriptions: Online access to content included with all subscriptions. E-Z Pay automatic monthly billing option available.
3. Day Pass: Single day pass option for digital access at $1.99.
4. Premium Editions: Additional premium editions published periodically, charged up to $3 per edition, shortening subscription length proportionally.
5. Classified Advertising: Classified ads for jobs, real estate, vehicles, announcements, and other categories.
6. Display Advertising: Retail and display advertising options for local businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Herald-News is a local community newspaper that publishes and distributes Rhea County, Tennessee news, sports, obituaries, opinion, and classifieds in a printed edition (Wednesdays and Sundays) and through digital channels including an e-Edition, mobile app, and website. It sells consumer subscriptions, day passes, and local advertising (display, classified, and business directory) to individual readers and local businesses in the Dayton, TN market.

Product overview

The Herald-News is a local newspaper serving Rhea County communities since 1898, operated by Adams Publishing Group. The company offers a multi-platform news portfolio centered on its print newspaper (delivered Wednesday and Sunday), complemented by the e-Edition digital version, a mobile application, and online subscription services. Additional offerings include a classifieds marketplace and local business directory through the Marketplace feature.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Print Newspaper Subscription Printed newspaper delivered by carrier home delivery and U.S. Mail, published twice weekly (Wednesday and Sunday), containing local news, sports, obituaries, opinion, and community announcements for Dayton and Rhea County, Tennessee readers.
• e-Edition

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Adams Publishing GroupcoreOthersParent company owning The Herald-News. Adams Publishing Group is a Tennessee & North Carolina newspaper group that owns multiple community newspapers in the region. The Herald-News operates under the APG umbrella with shared subscription services infrastructure.
• BLOX DigitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the BLOX Content Management System (BLOX CMS) powering the rheaheraldnews.com website. BLOX CMS is the platform used for website content management, digital publishing, and site operations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Emerging players

• Patch.com: Digital-first hyperlocal news network covering thousands of U.S. communities including Tennessee. Comparable as a local-news provider competing for the same community audience and local advertising dollars, though delivered digitally and free to readers rather than via paid print subscriptions.

Broad incumbents

• Gannett Co. Largest U.S. newspaper publisher (USA Today Network) operating hundreds of local publications including Tennessee dailies. Comparable as a multi-title community newspaper operator with print and digital subscription models, though at vastly greater scale and corporate resources.
• Lee Enterprises: Major U.S. community newspaper group operating daily and weekly papers across the Midwest, South, and Northeast. Comparable as a consolidator of small-market subscription newspapers with shared back-office infrastructure across titles.
• Ogden Newspapers: Family-owned newspaper company operating community dailies and weeklies across multiple states. Comparable as a multi-title community newspaper operator with subscription and local advertising revenue models.
• Knoxville News Sentinel: Major Tennessee daily newspaper owned by Gannett (USA Today Network), serving the broader East Tennessee region. Comparable as a print-and-digital subscription newspaper publisher, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Others

• Adams Publishing Group: Parent company of The Herald-News, owning multiple community newspapers in Tennessee, North Carolina, and other states. Comparable as the operating-group structure that defines The Herald-News's shared services, subscription platform, and corporate backing.

Direct peers

• The Greeneville Sun: East Tennessee community daily newspaper serving Greene County with print and digital subscriptions. Comparable in scale, rural Tennessee setting, and subscription-supported community newspaper model to The Herald-News.
• Chattanooga Times Free Press: A larger regional daily newspaper serving the Chattanooga metro area, which overlaps with Rhea County's media market. Comparable as a Tennessee-based subscription-supported newspaper publisher serving a regional Tennessee audience.
• The Cleveland Daily Banner: A community newspaper serving Cleveland, Tennessee, in the same region as The Herald-News. Operates a similar print-plus-digital subscription model targeting a small Tennessee city and surrounding county.
• The Daily Times (Blount County): East Tennessee community newspaper serving Blount County/Maryville with print editions and digital subscriptions, closely comparable in scale, geographic setting, and operating model to The Herald-News.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rheaheraldnews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgmIIYVANuzjEusy3tg7RDw
• Facebookfacebook.com/rheaheraldnews
• Instagraminstagram.com/rheaheraldnews/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhea-of-sunshine-inc

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 The Herald-News