Houston Herald

What Houston Herald does

Houston Herald is a privately held weekly newspaper founded in the late 1880s (per company history) and based in Houston, Missouri, serving Texas County and parts of Phelps and Dent counties. It operates as the region's largest circulating weekly, with approximately 4,000 paid subscribers and supplemental reach to 10,100 households via the affiliated Messenger publication. The newspaper covers local government, schools, sports, obituaries, public notices, community events, and business news, distributing content through weekly Thursday print delivery, a website (houstonherald.com), an e-edition, mobile app push notifications, text alerts, and social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest).

The core technology stack is Newspack, a WordPress-based content management system purpose-built for news publishers, paired with Raptive as the advertising optimization partner. The product portfolio comprises three subscription tiers (Digital Premium at $4/month or $40/year, Print at $45/year in-area or $60/year national, and a Digital & Print Bundle at $65/year), supplemented by an ePaper digital replica, email/text alerts, a 95,000-issue searchable archive, and a published Houston history book. Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring subscriptions and diversified advertising products including in-paper display ads, geo-targeted digital ads, direct mail, inserts, sticky notes, classifieds, and e-newsletter sponsorships.

The business is owner-operated, having been acquired by Isaiah Buse in 2023 after he joined the organization in 2019. The team of approximately six editorial and production staff is supported by a network of community partnerships (e.g., Evans Funeral Home for death notices) and publisher board roles with the Houston Education Foundation and The Bank of Houston, reinforcing the publication's positioning as a civic information utility for rural Texas County.

Name

Houston Herald

Legal name

Houston Herald

Website

https://houstonherald.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Houston Herald is a privately held weekly newspaper in Houston, Missouri, serving Texas County with print, digital, and e-edition subscriptions and a diversified local advertising portfolio for approximately 4,000 subscribers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Newspaper Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJADAB

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

SECONDARYMPAJADAG

Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Community news coverage
• Newspaper subscription services
• Local print advertising
• Digital news media

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Digital Premium subscription offering unlimited access to website, newsletters, alerts, and e-edition at $4/month or $40/year
2. Print Subscriptions: Print newspaper subscription delivered weekly to mailboxes, starting at $45/year for in-area delivery, $60/year national
3. Digital & Print Bundle: Combined digital and print subscription at $65/year
4. Print Advertising: In-paper advertising with full-color ads in various sizes, including Page One corner placement opportunity
5. Digital Advertising: Geo-targeted digital advertisements alongside web-exclusive stories and e-newsletter sponsorships
6. Direct Mail Advertising: Separate direct mail advertisements sent to local residents with carrier route targeting
7. Classified Ads: Classified advertisements appearing in print and The Licking News, with Tuesday deadline

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Houston Herald is a weekly community newspaper that publishes local news, sports, obituaries, government coverage, and public notices for Texas County, Missouri and parts of Phelps and Dent counties. It sells recurring digital and print subscriptions, an e-edition replica, email and SMS alerts, and a diversified portfolio of print, digital, direct-mail, and newsletter advertising products to local businesses. Supporting offerings include searchable historical archives dating to the 1880s, photo reprint services, and a published Houston history book.

Product overview

Houston Herald operates as a traditional weekly newspaper serving Texas County, Missouri, and surrounding areas with both print and digital subscription products. The core offering consists of three tiers: Digital Premium (online-only access), Print Subscriptions (physical newspaper delivery), and a Digital & Print Bundle combining both. Supporting the main subscription products are the ePaper/e-edition digital replica of the printed newspaper, newsletter and alert services via email and text, and extensive newspaper archives dating back to the 1880s. The company also offers a diversified advertising portfolio including in-paper print ads, direct mail, inserts, sticky notes, digital advertising, and e-newsletter sponsorships—positioning the newspaper as both a content provider and an advertising medium for local businesses. Additional services include photo reprints and a published history book on Houston.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Premium Subscription Monthly or annual subscription providing unlimited access to the Houston Herald website, newsletters, alerts, and the e-edition, an exact digital replica of the printed newspaper. Targeted at individual readers who want online-only access.
• Print Subscription Traditional weekly newspaper delivery to subscribers' mailboxes in Texas County (in-area) or nationally. Provides the printed Houston Herald weekly edition.
• Digital & Print Bundle Combined annual subscription bundling unlimited digital access (website, newsletters, alerts, e-edition) with physical newspaper delivery to the subscriber's doorstep.
• ePaper (E-Edition) Exact digital replica of the printed newspaper available online, allowing subscribers to view the complete printed edition including layouts, advertisements, and classifieds.
• In-Paper Advertising Full-color print advertising placed in the physical newspaper in various sizes, including premium Page One corner placement. Sold to local businesses seeking to reach the Houston Herald subscriber base.
• Digital Advertising Geo-targeted online advertisements displayed alongside web-exclusive stories and on the Houston Herald website, reaching local readers engaging with digital content.
• Direct Mail Advertising Standalone mail advertisements sent separately from the newspaper, reaching thousands of local residents with targeted distribution by carrier routes in Texas County.
• E-Newsletter Sponsorships Sponsored content placement within the Houston Herald email newsletters distributed to subscribers, providing local businesses a channel to reach engaged email readers.
• Newspaper Archives Searchable digital archive of Houston Herald publications from the late 1880s to the present, containing over 95,000 newspapers, available for genealogical and historical research.
• Photo Services Electronic storage and reprint ordering service for photographs appearing in the newspaper, with prints and custom photo products available through online galleries.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Evans Funeral HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvans Funeral Home provides death notices to Houston Herald. The text alert service includes notifications from Evans Funeral Home for death notices, enabling timely publication of obituary information for the community.
• Houston Education FoundationminorOthersPublisher Isaiah Buse serves on the board of the Houston Education Foundation, indicating community involvement and partnership with local educational organizations.
• The Bank of HoustonminorOthersPublisher Isaiah Buse serves on the board of The Bank of Houston, indicating a community partnership with local financial institution.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lee Enterprises: Operates a portfolio of subscription-based local newspapers serving small and mid-sized communities across the US, including weekly community papers with print + digital subscriptions and local advertising as the core business model — directly analogous to Houston Herald's operating template.
• Ogden Newspapers: Family-owned newspaper chain operating approximately 40 daily, weekly, and semi-weekly community publications in small U.S. markets — highly comparable subscription + local advertising business model and owner-operator philosophy.
• The Licking News: Partner community publication from neighboring Texas County, Missouri that carries Houston Herald classifieds; the most directly comparable peer in format (weekly print + digital), geography, and family-owned business model.
• News-Press & Gazette Company: Family-owned media company operating local daily and weekly newspapers plus broadcast stations in smaller U.S. markets; comparable in subscription + SMB advertising monetization and rural market orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Gannett: Largest U.S. newspaper publisher, operating USA TODAY and ~200+ daily local newspapers plus numerous weeklies; competes broadly with Houston Herald for both readers and local advertiser budgets at scale.
• MediaNews Group: Major newspaper company (affiliated with Alden Global Capital) operating daily and weekly local papers across the U.S.; competes broadly with Houston Herald for regional/local ad budgets and reader attention.
• Schurz Communications: Family-owned broadcasting and publishing company that has historically operated community newspapers in small U.S. markets; comparable in operating philosophy to an owner-led community paper, though broader in scope.
• Tribune Publishing: Legacy major-market newspaper publisher (now slimmed post-divestiture to Alden Global and Gannett); relevant for industry economics and competitive dynamics in regional/local news, though not a direct small-market peer.

Regional players

• Phelps County Focus: Weekly newspaper covering Phelps County, MO — directly adjacent to Texas County and a geography also partially served by Houston Herald; the closest geographic competitor for advertisers and readers.
• Emissourian: Family-owned weekly newspaper serving Franklin County and surrounding areas in east-central Missouri; similar format (weekly print + digital) and rural Missouri footprint to the Houston Herald.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hstnherald
• Facebookfacebook.com/houstonherald/?eid=ARDy-lioUFy-KymLrbV8PmkaaoCX7YoRucsnorTfSwHhhqNiEAFKCjbEcNhuHri0kCDMSOl1ivmIpfXM
• Instagraminstagram.com/houstonherald
• Pinterestpinterest.com/hstnherald
• Xx.com/houstonherald
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/houston-herald

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Houston Herald