The Willits News

What The Willits News does

The Willits News is a private local newspaper operating in Willits, California, founded in 1903 and serving the city of Willits and the broader Mendocino County market. Its core product is the digital news website willitsnews.com, where it publishes hyperlocal coverage including local news, crime and public safety reports, courts, marijuana industry news, health, obituaries, local and regional sports, opinion/columns, restaurants and entertainment, events, and roadwork updates. The publication is operated as a property of MediaNews Group (also known as Digital First Media), a regional newspaper conglomerate; the technology stack is a commodity WordPress.com VIP publishing platform shared across MediaNews titles, with no proprietary features disclosed.

The business model combines four revenue streams: (1) digital advertising — display ads, branded/sponsored content, and traditional classifieds, with local ad sales executed through NorCal Audience Solutions; (2) recurring digital subscriptions via an annual billing cadence (specific pricing not publicly disclosed); (3) a business-directory marketplace at businessdirectory.willitsnews.com that lists local SMBs across categories such as automotive, real estate, medical, restaurants, and services, generating marketplace-style fees; and (4) syndicated affiliate commerce content via BestReviews. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the website, email newsletters, and social channels (Facebook, X/Twitter), with regional reach extended via Bay Area News Group content syndication. The company's customer base is geographically segmented: a primarily residential reader audience in Willits and Mendocino County on the consumer side, and local small and mid-sized businesses on the advertiser side.

Name

The Willits News

Legal name

The Willits News

Website

https://willitsnews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Willits News is a 1903-founded local newspaper and digital news website covering Willits, California and Mendocino County, operated by MediaNews Group. It monetizes via digital advertising, paid subscriptions, classifieds, and a local business-directory marketplace targeting community readers and local SMB advertisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Local newspaper publishing
• Digital news media
• Classified advertising
• Community journalism
• Business directory marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Willits

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising: Display advertising on the website, including sponsored content and branded articles. The site offers advertising opportunities through NorCal Audience Solutions and Digital First Media.
2. Subscriptions: Paid digital subscriptions for readers seeking full access to local news content. Subscription page is available at willitsnews.com/subscribe/.
3. Marketplace/Classifieds: Business directory marketplace and classified advertising platform generating revenue from local business listings and individual classified ads.
4. Classified Advertising: Traditional classified ad placement via phone (1-707-459-4643) and email ([email protected]).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Willits News operates a hyperlocal digital news publication serving Willits, California and Mendocino County. It sells digital advertising, paid subscriptions, and classified ad placements, while also operating a business directory marketplace that lists local businesses across categories such as automotive, real estate, restaurants, medical, and services. Content covers local news, crime and public safety, sports, lifestyle, obituaries, and community events.

Product overview

The Willits News is a local news website serving Willits, California, operated by MediaNews Group. The primary offering is its news website covering local news, sports, lifestyle, obituaries, and opinion content. The product portfolio also includes a business directory marketplace, classified advertising services, email newsletter subscriptions, and paid subscription services. The site also features third-party BestReviews content providing consumer product recommendations with affiliate monetization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Willits News Website

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• MediaNews Group (Digital First Media)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Willits News is operated by MediaNews Group (also operating as Digital First Media), a regional newspaper publishing company. The parent company provides advertising technology, content syndication, and operational infrastructure including privacy policies, terms of service, and website platform (WordPress.com VIP).
• BestReviewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBestReviews provides product review content syndicated on The Willits News website. BestReviews earns commissions from product purchases through affiliate links while The Willits News receives supplemental lifestyle content including product reviews, guides, and recommendations.
• NorCal Audience SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorCal Audience Solutions handles local advertising sales for The Willits News, serving as the advertising representative for local businesses seeking to advertise in the publication.
• Bay Area News GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent syndication partner providing stories from Bay Area News Group publications including The Press Democrat, Times-Standard, and other regional outlets. The relationship enables sharing of regional content relevant to local readers.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Lee Enterprises: Major U.S. local newspaper operator with a portfolio of small and mid-market community dailies. Comparable as an established incumbent in the same hyperlocal newspaper category, providing subscription and digital advertising at scale across rural America.
• Bay Area News Group: A larger regional media group that The Willits News partners with for content syndication. Comparable as a multi-title California news publisher operating on overlapping infrastructure and audience, though at significantly greater scale.
• Gannett (USA TODAY Network): Largest U.S. newspaper chain operating hundreds of local community titles. Comparable as a national operator of small-market local newspapers with similar subscription and digital advertising models, though at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Direct peers

• Ukiah Daily Journal: Sister publication within MediaNews Group / Digital First Media covering Ukiah in Mendocino County. Directly comparable as a hyperlocal California community newspaper operating under the same parent infrastructure and shared ad-sales and publishing platform.
• The Press Democrat: Regional Northern California newspaper that partners with The Willits News via Bay Area News Group syndication. Comparable as a California regional news publisher with overlapping coverage of Northern California communities and shared syndication relationships.
• Half Moon Bay Review: MediaNews Group community newspaper covering the Half Moon Bay area on the California coast. Comparable as a small-market, digital-first local newspaper with similar subscription, advertising, and classified revenue streams.
• The Reporter (Vacaville): MediaNews Group community newspaper serving Vacaville and Solano County. Comparable as a small-market California local news outlet operated under the same Digital First Media umbrella with similar subscription and advertising monetization.
• Times-Standard (Eureka): Another MediaNews Group / Digital First Media California newspaper covering Humboldt County. Closely comparable in target audience (Northern California regional readers), revenue model (digital ads, subscriptions, classifieds), and operational setup as a digital-first community news outlet.

Emerging players

• Mendocino Voice: Independent digital local news outlet covering Mendocino County. Comparable as a hyperlocal digital news publisher targeting the same geographic audience as The Willits News, but operating as a digital-native nonprofit/independent rather than a legacy newspaper.

Regional players

• Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Regional Northern California newspaper headquartered in nearby Santa Rosa. Comparable as a community-focused Northern California news publisher with overlapping coverage of Sonoma/Mendocino counties, though serving a larger and more affluent market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheWillitsNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/WillitsNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/willits-news

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 Willits News