County Journal
County Journal is a privately held weekly newspaper serving residents of Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties in southern Illinois, offering annual print mail subscriptions and online digital subscriptions direct to local consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersRandolph County, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What County Journal does
County Journal is a privately held weekly newspaper serving residents of Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties in southern Illinois, with the publication office based in the Randolph County area and content distributed every Thursday. The publication's core products are an annual print subscription delivered by mail and an annual or short-term online subscription, both sold direct-to-consumer through the publisher's website (countyjournal.org) and a toll-free phone number. Print pricing is zoned by geography: $40/year within the core local counties, $42/year elsewhere in Illinois, and $45/year out-of-state; online access is available as a $5/week pass or $31/year subscription, with the option to add online access to a print subscription for an additional $5.
The underlying technology stack is described as a traditional print and online newspaper publication with no proprietary platforms, software systems, or AI/ML capabilities identified in the source material. Distribution is dual-channel: physical newspapers are delivered via mail to subscribers, while digital content is gated behind subscription authentication on the website. The publication self-positions as the "largest weekly newspaper south of Springfield, Illinois" and covers local government proceedings, school board meetings, court cases, community events, local sports, and obituaries across Sparta, Chester, Ellis Grove, Ava, Steeleville, and surrounding communities.
Revenue is generated entirely through recurring consumer subscriptions with no disclosed advertising, sponsorship, or B2B revenue streams. Ownership, management team, headcount, funding, and financial performance are not disclosed in the source material, and the publication operates as an independent local news organization with no parent company, subsidiaries, partnerships, or institutional investors identified. The company holds no disclosed patents, trademarks, certifications, or formal industry recognition.
County Journal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- County Journal
- Legal name
- County Journal
- Website
- https://countyjournal.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- County Journal is a privately held weekly newspaper serving residents of Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties in southern Illinois, offering annual print mail subscriptions and online digital subscriptions direct to local consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
County Journal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Newspaper
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
Keywords
Where County Journal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Randolph County
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
County Journal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Print Subscription Revenue: Annual print subscriptions delivered by mail to subscribers in Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties and Marissa ($40/year), other Illinois locations ($42/year), and out-of-state ($45/year).
- Online Subscription Revenue: Digital subscriptions providing access to online content. Short-term online access available for $5.00 for one week, or annual online subscription at $31.00 per year.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | One Week Online Access |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Online Subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Print Subscription - Local |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Print Subscription - Illinois |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Print Subscription - Out of State |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels1 record
County Journal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
County Journal is a weekly local newspaper that publishes community news, obituaries, sports, classified ads, and local event coverage for Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties in southern Illinois, released every Thursday in both print and online editions. It sells print subscriptions ($40–$45/year depending on ZIP code) and online subscriptions ($31/year or $5/week) to local readers and area businesses.
Product overview
County Journal is a weekly newspaper publisher offering two primary products: an online digital subscription and a print newspaper subscription. The online subscription provides web access to news content, while the print subscription delivers the physical newspaper to subscribers in Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties and surrounding areas. The company positions itself as the largest weekly newspaper south of Springfield, Illinois, publishing every Thursday.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- County Journal Print Subscription Weekly print edition of the County Journal newspaper published every Thursday, delivered to subscribers' homes in Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties in southern Illinois, covering community news, obituaries, sports, classifieds, and local events. Priced at $40–$45 per year depending on subscriber ZIP code.
- County Journal Online Subscription Digital online edition of the County Journal providing access to weekly local news, obituaries, sports, classifieds, and community event coverage for Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties via the website. Available as an annual subscription for $31/year or a short-term weekly pass for $5/week.
- County Journal Classified & Display Advertising Classified and display advertising placements in the County Journal print edition and online, sold to local businesses and individuals in Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties seeking to reach the newspaper's subscriber base.
Companies that use County Journal
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
County Journal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
County Journal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights3 records
County Journal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tribune Publishing: Major regional newspaper publisher with titles across U.S. cities. Comparable in that it monetizes local/regional news through print and digital subscriptions, though at significantly larger scale and broader geography.
- Gannett Co. National newspaper chain operating hundreds of local dailies and weeklies across the U.S., including Illinois titles. Comparable as a producer of recurring local news content delivered through print and digital subscriptions, but at vastly larger scale.
- Lee Enterprises: Large U.S. newspaper group focused on mid-sized local markets with a print + digital subscription model. Overlaps with County Journal's recurring subscription economics and small-market newspaper operations.
Regional players
- The Daily Egyptian: Local newspaper serving Carbondale and surrounding Jackson County in southern Illinois. Direct geographic overlap with County Journal's coverage area and comparable local-news subscription model.
- RiverBender.com: Regional digital news outlet covering the River Bend area of southwestern Illinois. Comparable as a local/regional news publisher targeting Illinois communities with mixed free/ad-supported and subscription content.
- The Southern Illinoisan: Daily newspaper based in Carbondale, Illinois, covering the same southern Illinois region. Directly comparable geography and editorial focus (local government, schools, crime, community news), and a competing subscription-based newspaper product.
- Belleville News-Democrat: Regional daily newspaper serving southwestern Illinois near St. Louis. Comparable as a subscription-based local news outlet in a neighboring Illinois market, with similar coverage of community and government news.
Emerging players
- Patch.com: National hyperlocal digital news network with local editions in many U.S. communities. Comparable as a competing source of community-level news in County Journal's geography, but distributed free and digital-only.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
County Journal social profiles
Digital presenceCounty Journal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
County Journal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
County Journal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
County Journal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about County Journal
What does County Journal do?
County Journal is a weekly local newspaper that publishes community news, obituaries, sports, classified ads, and local event coverage for Randolph, Perry, and Jackson counties in southern Illinois, released every Thursday in both print and online editions. It sells print subscriptions ($40–$45/year depending on ZIP code) and online subscriptions ($31/year or $5/week) to local readers and area businesses.
Is County Journal a public or private company?
County Journal is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was County Journal founded?
County Journal was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is County Journal based?
County Journal is headquartered in Randolph County, United States, in the North America region.
How does County Journal make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Print Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are online Subscription Revenue.
Who are County Journal's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tribune Publishing, Gannett Co. and Lee Enterprises. Regional players are The Daily Egyptian, RiverBender.com, The Southern Illinoisan and Belleville News-Democrat. Patch.com is listed as an emerging player.
Does County Journal have an API?
No public API is recorded for County Journal.
What industry is County Journal in?
County Journal's product category is Local Newspaper. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.