The Daily News Journal

What The Daily News Journal does

The Daily News Journal is a local newspaper serving Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Rutherford County in Middle Tennessee, operating as a property within the USA TODAY Network owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI). It publishes local news, sports coverage (with a dedicated MTSU Blue Raiders vertical), opinion, lifestyle, obituary, and public-notice content across print home delivery, a digital website (dnj.com), an eNewspaper replica platform, iOS/Android mobile applications, and email newsletters.

The underlying technology is Gannett's shared digital content management and publishing infrastructure; the publication itself does not appear to operate proprietary technology beyond the local newsroom. Its product surface has been extended beyond journalism into commercial verticals including a real estate marketplace (powered by AddressUSA integration), classifieds, job listings, obituaries, public notices, and engagement content (crosswords, Sudoku, horoscopes via the USA TODAY PLAY platform and 10Best recommendations).

The business model combines three revenue streams: recurring print and digital subscriptions (monthly eNewspaper and annual print-with-digital bundles, pricing not publicly disclosed), advertising (display, classifieds, obituaries, public notices, and real estate listings), and marketplace/transaction fees from job and real estate listings. Go-to-market is hybrid — direct sales for home delivery subscriptions and managed local SMB advertising through the parent company's LocaliQ arm, alongside self-serve digital subscription, mobile app, and newsletter sign-ups. Customer segments are residents of the Rutherford County / Middle Tennessee area (primary) and local small and medium-sized businesses seeking advertising and marketplace placements (secondary).

Name

The Daily News Journal

Legal name

The Daily News Journal

Website

https://dnj.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Daily News Journal is a local newspaper serving Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, Tennessee, operating within Gannett's USA TODAY Network. It delivers local news, MTSU sports, obituaries, and public notices via print, digital, mobile, and newsletter channels to a subscription-based community readership and local SMB advertisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Murfreesboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: The publication generates revenue through print and digital subscriptions, with options for home delivery and eNewspaper digital access. Subscribers can manage accounts online and access subscriber-only content.
2. Advertising: The publication sells display advertising, classifieds, obituaries, public notices, and real estate marketplace listings. Local businesses can advertise through USA TODAY Network's advertising platform.
3. Marketplace Services: Revenue generated from job listings, real estate marketplace listings, and classified advertising. The publication partners with AddressUSA for real estate listings integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Daily News Journal publishes and distributes a local newspaper serving Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and Rutherford County, Tennessee. It delivers local news, sports coverage (including MTSU Blue Raiders athletics), lifestyles, opinion, obituaries, public notices, and real estate listings through print home delivery, a digital eNewspaper replica, mobile apps, and the dnj.com website. The publication operates as part of the USA TODAY Network under Gannett Co., Inc., offering subscription-based access to local editorial content alongside advertising, classifieds, and marketplace services.

Product overview

The Daily News Journal (dnj.com) is a local newspaper website serving Murfreesboro and Rutherford County, Tennessee, operating as part of the USA Today Network (Gannett). The publication offers a traditional newspaper structure with a core print/digital newspaper product, complemented by digital services including eNewspaper subscriptions, mobile apps, real estate listings via AddressUSA integration, obituaries, public notices, and puzzle/gaming content through the USA TODAY PLAY platform. The site covers local news, sports (including dedicated MTSU Blue Raiders coverage), lifestyle, opinion, and community content through various sections including News, Sports, Blue Raiders, Lifestyles, Real Estate, Obituaries, and Public Notices. The publication operates on a subscription model with both digital and print options available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Daily News Journal Newspaper (Print Subscription) Print edition of the Daily News Journal delivered to subscribers' homes in the Murfreesboro and Rutherford County area, including full digital access. Targeted at local residents seeking comprehensive local news, sports, lifestyles, and community information.
• eNewspaper Digital Subscription Digital replica of the printed Daily News Journal accessible online via user.dnj.com. Provides subscribers with on-screen access to the daily edition, suitable for readers who prefer digital consumption of the local newspaper.
• Email Newsletters Email-based newsletter subscriptions delivering daily news updates and breaking news alerts to subscribers about Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, and Middle Tennessee. Targeted at local readers wanting push delivery of curated local news.
• Real Estate Listings Online real estate listing and search service for homes in Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, and surrounding Nashville suburbs. Integrated with AddressUSA to display property listings and connect readers with real estate agents.
• Mobile Apps Mobile applications for iOS and Android that allow users to read Daily News Journal news content, access subscriptions, and consume local reporting on mobile devices.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AddressUSAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAddressUSA provides real estate listing integration for the Daily News Journal's real estate section, displaying property listings and connecting readers with real estate agents.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Knoxville News Sentinel: Gannett-owned daily serving Knoxville, TN. Operates the identical USA TODAY Network infrastructure, subscription tiers (print + eNewspaper), advertising platform, and LocaliQ integration - a true like-for-like operational twin outside of geography.
• Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle: Gannett-owned Tennessee daily covering Clarksville. Direct peer: same parent, similar mid-sized Tennessee market profile, identical product mix (print, eNewspaper, real estate marketplace, obituaries, public notices).
• The Commercial Appeal (Memphis): Gannett's Memphis daily. Same parent company, same USA TODAY Network playbook, but a larger legacy metro market; useful for benchmarking what scaled local-news monetization looks like within the Gannett portfolio.
• The Jackson Sun: Another Gannett-owned Tennessee daily. Compares on parent, technology stack, revenue model, and mid-sized-market positioning, though Jackson is smaller and slower-growing than the Murfreesboro market.
• The Tennessean: Flagship Nashville daily owned by Gannett / USA TODAY Network. The most directly comparable peer: same parent company, same operating model, same Tennessee geography, same subscription+advertising revenue mix, and serving a market directly adjacent to Murfreesboro.

Broad incumbents

• Lee Enterprises: Major publicly-traded local newspaper chain operating 70+ dailies across the U.S. Directly comparable operating model (subscription + advertising + shared services) but serves a broader, more rural footprint than the Gannett network.
• Tribune Publishing: Large U.S. newspaper operator (Chicago Tribune, NY Daily News, Baltimore Sun, etc.). Overlaps in legacy print+digital subscription and advertising model but operates primarily in major metros rather than mid-sized regional markets like Murfreesboro.
• New York Times Company: National subscription-led news brand with a growing local/NY regional presence. Not a geographic peer, but the benchmark for digital subscription bundling, retention, and ARPU expansion that mid-market local papers are trying to emulate.

Emerging players

• Axios Local: Axios-branded local newsletters operating in select U.S. metros with a smart-brief format. An emerging competitor targeting the same local-news reader with a digital-native, newsletter-led model that monetizes via advertising and sponsorships.
• Patch.com: Hyperlocal digital news network covering thousands of U.S. communities including Murfreesboro and surrounding Tennessee suburbs. Competes for the same local-news reader and small-business advertiser with a lower-cost, digital-only model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dnj_com
• Facebookfacebook.com/dnjcom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rutherford-county-adult-activity-center

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 Daily News Journal