Charleston Gazette-Mail

What Charleston Gazette-Mail does

Charleston Gazette-Mail is a Pulitzer Prize-winning regional newspaper serving Charleston, the Kanawha Valley, and broader West Virginia. It operates as the primary newspaper of record for the region, providing hyperlocal coverage across news, politics, education, business, health, energy and environment, legal affairs, WVU and high school sports, opinion, and life and arts content. The publication is owned and operated by HD Media Company, LLC, a regional media company headquartered in Huntington, West Virginia, which also operates The Herald-Dispatch, giving the parent shared advertising sales infrastructure and corporate services across its publication network.

The product surface spans a multi-platform news operation: a primary website (wvgazettemail.com), iOS and Android mobile applications, an e-Edition digital replica of the print edition, email newsletters (A.M. Update, Sunday Morning), the HD Media Gameday sports platform, and the physical print newspaper distributed via home delivery and retail. Specialized verticals include Health Source (healthcare content), Pulse Digital (lifestyle), and the Marketplace directory. Technology infrastructure is built on the BLOX Content Management System from BLOX Digital, with Newzware providing SSO and subscription management. Trademarks, logos, and trade dress are registered to HD Media.

The business model combines recurring digital and print subscriptions (self-service sign-up through website and mobile), advertising (display, classifieds, sponsored content, native), legally mandated public notice advertising from government and businesses, and transaction-fee classifieds marketplace revenue (cars, jobs, real estate, general). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through the website, mobile app, and e-edition, combined with regional advertiser sales targeting local Charleston and West Virginia businesses. Customer segments include local community readers (primary), business and government readers, sports enthusiasts, and local advertisers. Headcount is reported at 101–250 employees.

Name

Charleston Gazette-Mail

Legal name

HD Media Company, LLC

Website

https://wvgazettemail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Charleston Gazette-Mail is a Pulitzer Prize-winning regional newspaper serving Charleston and West Virginia, owned by HD Media Company, LLC. It delivers local news, sports, opinion, and community coverage via print, website, mobile app, e-edition, and newsletters, monetized through subscriptions, advertising, public notices, and classifieds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Newspaper publishing
• Local news media
• Digital subscriptions
• Print advertising
• Classifieds marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Subscription revenue from digital access to news content including unlimited article access, exclusive features, and e-edition access through website and mobile applications.
2. Print Subscriptions: Traditional newspaper subscription model providing physical newspaper delivery along with digital access.
3. Advertising: Display advertising, classifieds, and marketplace listings targeting local Charleston and West Virginia audiences across multiple formats including digital display, native content, and sponsored articles.
4. Sponsored Content: Sponsored articles and content partnerships with third-party brands and organizations, including sponsored health content, automotive features, and other commercial content integrations.
5. Public Notices: Legal public notice advertising from government agencies and businesses, published through dedicated public notices section.
6. Classifieds: Online marketplace for cars, jobs, real estate, and general classifieds serving local community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Charleston Gazette-Mail is a Pulitzer Prize-winning regional newspaper operated by HD Media Company, LLC, providing local news, politics, sports, business, opinion, and community coverage for Charleston and West Virginia through print, website, mobile app, and e-edition formats. It also offers advertising, classifieds, and marketplace services to local businesses and consumers.

Product overview

Charleston Gazette-Mail is a Pulitzer Prize-winning regional newspaper operated by HD Media Company, LLC, serving Charleston and the broader West Virginia region. The publication offers a multi-platform news operation combining traditional print journalism with digital products including the e-Edition digital replica, mobile app, and HD Media Gameday sports platform. The company provides subscription-based content access alongside marketplace services including classifieds, real estate, jobs, and automotive listings. Additional offerings include Health Source (healthcare content), Pulse Digital (lifestyle content), newsletters, and the Marketplace connecting readers with local businesses. Content sections span News, Politics, Sports, Opinion, Life & Arts, Business, Health, and Multimedia including photo galleries and video content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charleston Gazette-Mail A Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper serving Charleston, West Virginia, offering local news, sports, politics, business, and community coverage through digital and print formats for local readers.
• e-Edition Digital replica of the print newspaper available for online viewing by subscribers.
• Mobile App Mobile application for iOS/Android providing access to news content on smartphones and tablets, with push notifications and subscription integration.
• HD Media Gameday Sports coverage platform featuring high school sports content, replays, and game coverage for regional sports fans.
• Newsletters Email newsletter services including A.M. Update and Sunday Morning editions delivering curated news summaries to subscriber inboxes.
• Classifieds Online classified advertising platform featuring jobs, cars, real estate, and general classifieds for local community members and advertisers.
• Marketplace Local business and service directory connecting readers with area businesses.
• Health Source Health and wellness publication covering medical news, health tips, and healthcare resources for the region.
• Pulse Digital Digital lifestyle and entertainment content platform.
• Social Marketplace Social commerce platform for featured content and community engagement.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BLOX DigitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationBLOX Digital provides the BLOX Content Management System (CMS) powering the Charleston Gazette-Mail website and digital operations. The CMS handles content delivery, digital publishing, multimedia management, and subscription services across web and mobile platforms.
• NewzwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationNewzware provides SSO (Single Sign-On) and subscription management services for Charleston Gazette-Mail, enabling user authentication, account management, and subscription tier access across the publication's digital properties.
• HD Media Company, LLCcoreOthersParent company owning and operating Charleston Gazette-Mail along with other regional news publications including The Herald-Dispatch. HD Media is the legal entity providing corporate governance, advertising sales infrastructure, and shared services across the publication network.
• West Virginia Department of TourismminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoverage partnership with WVDOT for tourism-related content, featuring stories about state attractions, events like America 250 celebrations, and regional tourism initiatives that benefit both news coverage and state tourism promotion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lee Enterprises: Publicly traded operator of 75+ daily newspapers across the U.S. — directly comparable subscription + advertising model, with similar operational profile to HD Media's regional titles.
• Ogden Newspapers: Family-owned group of 40+ daily newspapers including several in West Virginia and the broader Appalachian region — comparable mid-market regional newspaper operator with shared service infrastructure.
• Gannett / USA TODAY Network: Largest U.S. local newspaper operator with hundreds of regional titles — broadly comparable business model (digital subscriptions, local advertising, classifieds), but operates at massive scale and competes for the same regional advertiser dollars.

Direct peers

• The Parkersburg News and Sentinel: Competing West Virginia regional daily newspaper serving Parkersburg and the Mid-Ohio Valley — comparable scale, similar print+digital subscription model, and overlapping advertiser base with Charleston Gazette-Mail.
• The Herald-Dispatch: Huntington, West Virginia daily newspaper also owned by HD Media Company, LLC — operates under the same parent and shares corporate services, ad infrastructure, and subscription technology stack with Charleston Gazette-Mail.
• The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY): Regional daily newspaper in upstate New York with similar mid-market profile — comparable digital subscription strategy, multi-platform distribution, and hyperlocal content verticals.
• The Register-Herald: Beckley, West Virginia daily newspaper covering southern WV — comparable regional daily format, similar content verticals, and competing for the same statewide advertiser pool.
• Wheeling Intelligencer: Northern West Virginia regional daily covering Wheeling and the Northern Panhandle — comparable mid-market daily newspaper profile with multi-platform distribution and similar advertiser mix.

Emerging players

• Axios Local: Digital-native local news initiative with Smart Brevity-style local newsletters — competing for digital local news audience and advertiser share with incumbents like Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Regional players

• The Inter-Mountain / WV News: West Virginia-focused digital news platform and newspaper group covering central WV — directly competitive for digital readership and advertiser share within Charleston Gazette-Mail's primary market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wvgazettemail
• YouTubeyoutube.com/wvgazettemail
• Facebookfacebook.com/charlestongazettemail
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charleston-gazette-mail
• Instagraminstagram.com/wvgazettemail

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 Charleston Gazette-Mail