Arkansas Press Association

What Arkansas Press Association does

Arkansas Press Association (APA) is a nonprofit trade association serving newspapers across Arkansas, headquartered at 411 South Victory in Little Rock. It functions as the collective voice and operational service hub for the state's newspaper industry, providing members with statewide advertising networks, industry publications, training resources, and press freedom advocacy. The association operates with a small staff of approximately five employees covering executive leadership, finance, media buying, operations, and communications.

The association operates two principal advertising networks — ARDAN (Arkansas Display Advertising Network) and ARSCAN (Arkansas Statewide Classified Advertising Network) — that collectively reach 88 participating Arkansas newspapers and give advertisers a single point of access for statewide newspaper reach. APA also publishes several recurring industry resources: The Arkansas Publisher Weekly newsletter, Arkansas Newspaper Connection jobs and freelance newsletter, the biennial Freedom of Information Handbook co-produced with the Arkansas Attorney General, the annual Arkansas Media Directory, and the Public and Legal Notices Digest produced in partnership with the law firm Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull. A news release dissemination service distributes member-submitted releases across newspapers, magazines, digital news websites, and broadcast stations statewide at a flat $200, or $20 per county (capped at $200).

Revenue is generated through annual membership dues from Arkansas newspapers, transaction and placement fees on ARDAN/ARSCAN ad network orders, fees for statewide news release dissemination, and sales of publications and merchandise — including safety vests at $20, press release distribution at $200, and donations directed to the affiliated 501(c)(3) Arkansas Newspaper Foundation (founded 1982), which provides paid journalism internships and continuing education grants. APA distributes industry content via email and the Substack platform, operates an online shop, and runs an annual convention as a member engagement channel.

Name

Arkansas Press Association

Legal name

Arkansas Press Association

Website

https://arkansaspress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arkansas Press Association (APA) is a nonprofit trade association serving Arkansas newspapers through statewide advertising networks (ARDAN/ARSCAN, 88 papers), industry publications, news release dissemination, legal notices publishing, and press freedom advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Newspaper Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

News Agencies & Wire Services (General & Specialized) (MPAJADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Media Relations & Press Office Services (BPAFADAF), Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Newspaper trade association
• Statewide advertising network
• Press membership organization
• Media directory publishing
• News release distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: APA operates as a membership organization serving Arkansas newspapers with annual membership fees
2. News Release Dissemination Service: Distribution of news releases to traditional newspapers, regional magazines, digital news websites, and television and radio stations. Custom county-by-county distribution at $20 per county with $200 maximum, or full statewide distribution at $200 flat rate.
3. Shop Products: Sale of merchandise including Safety Vests ($20) and Statewide Press Releases ($200)
4. Advertising Network Fees: Revenue from ARDAN (Arkansas Display Advertising Network) and ARSCAN (Arkansas Statewide Classified Advertising Network) serving 88 participating newspapers across Arkansas
5. Publications Sales: Sale of Arkansas Media Directory, Freedom of Information Handbook, and Public and Legal Notices Digest publications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arkansas Press Association operates as a membership trade association serving Arkansas newspaper publishers. Its core offerings include aggregated statewide advertising networks (ARDAN for display ads, ARSCAN for classified ads) reaching 88 participating newspapers, industry publications (weekly newsletters, media directory, FOIA handbook, legal notices digest), and a news release dissemination service that distributes releases to newspapers, magazines, digital news sites, and broadcast stations across Arkansas.

Product overview

The Arkansas Press Association operates as a membership organization for Arkansas newspapers offering a portfolio of publications, advertising networks, and marketing services. The core products include five regular publications: The Arkansas Publisher Weekly (industry newsletter published Thursdays), Arkansas Newspaper Connection (job/opportunity newsletter published Wednesdays), Freedom of Information Handbook (biennial FOIA guide), Arkansas Media Directory (annual media listings), and Public and Legal Notices Digest. The Association also operates two advertising networks—ARDAN (Arkansas Display Advertising Network) for display ads and ARSCAN (Arkansas Statewide Classified Advertising Network) for classified ads—serving 88 participating newspapers statewide. Additional services include news release dissemination (statewide or county-by-county distribution) and e-commerce products through an online shop selling safety vests and ANF donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arkansas Display Advertising Network (ARDAN): Statewide advertising network for display and classified ads reaching 88 participating newspapers across Arkansas.
• ARSCAN (Arkansas Statewide Classified Advertising Network)

Products and services

• ARDAN (Arkansas Display Advertising Network) Statewide display advertising network allowing placement of 2x2 or 2x4 ads across Arkansas newspapers, available in four geographically-specialized regions, serving 88 participating newspapers.
• ARSCAN (Arkansas Statewide Classified Advertising Network) Statewide classified advertising network enabling classified display ads (1x2, 1x3, or 1x4) in either a statewide network or geographic regions for product marketing or talent recruitment.
• News Release Dissemination Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 88 participating newspapers in advertising networks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 and minor.

• Arkansas Newspaper FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1982ANF is the affiliated 501(c)(3) foundation of APA, founded in 1982. ANF provides paid newspaper internships to students at Arkansas colleges and universities, continuing education grants, and supports the educational and political efforts of APA. Funds are raised through golf tournaments, scholarship auctions, private and corporate donations, and memorials.
• Quattlebaum, Grooms, & TullminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe law firm undertook the research and organization of the Public and Legal Notices Digest as a service to APA members, developing the exhaustive 444-page compilation of Arkansas statutes requiring publication of public or legal notices.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California News Publishers Association: Statewide association serving California's newspaper industry with advocacy, advertising placement services, and public-notice infrastructure. Closely comparable to APA in operating model (statewide trade association, aggregated advertising, legal notices) but at much larger scale.
• Texas Press Association: State-level trade association for Texas newspapers offering advertising networks, classified networks, and member services. Operates a functionally similar model to APA's ARDAN/ARSCAN — multi-paper ad aggregation, classified networks, and statewide PR/news release distribution — making it the most direct peer in another state.
• Missouri Press Association: State-level newspaper association for Missouri offering aggregated advertising networks, classified ad services, and public-notice products. Highly comparable to APA in regional scope, member services, and ad network operation.
• Illinois Press Association: Statewide trade association for Illinois newspapers providing member services, advocacy, advertising network, and journalism training. Direct structural analog to APA's membership-plus-advertising-network-plus-foundation model.
• Oklahoma Press Association: Trade association for Oklahoma newspapers providing statewide advertising networks, classified services, and advocacy. Functionally analogous to APA in the adjacent state of Oklahoma, with a similar small-state, rural-newspaper membership profile.

Others

• Business Wire: Press release distribution and regulatory disclosure wire service. Comparable to APA's news release product in terms of distribution channels (traditional and digital media), but positioned at the national/enterprise tier with much broader geographic and outlet reach.
• PR Newswire: National wire service for press release distribution to media outlets across the U.S. Comparable to APA's News Release Dissemination Service in core function (PR distribution to newspapers, broadcast, digital), but operates at national scale with significantly broader reach and higher price points.

Broad incumbents

• National Newspaper Association: National trade association representing community newspapers across the U.S. Closest analog to APA at the federal level, providing advocacy, training, and member services for newspaper publishers — comparable in mission but operating at the national scale rather than one state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ARPressAssoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkansas-press-association-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Arkansas Press Association