THE MORNING SUN
The Morning Sun is a privately-held local newspaper serving Crawford County and Southeast Kansas, delivering print and digital E-Edition subscriptions, local advertising, and donation-funded community journalism from a 14-person staff based in Pittsburg, Kansas.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersPittsburg, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What THE MORNING SUN does
The Morning Sun is a privately-held local newspaper serving Pittsburg, Girard, Frontenac, and surrounding communities in Crawford County, Southeast Kansas. Operating under a lineage that traces to the 1879 Pittsburg Exponent, it was consolidated into its current identity in 1973 following the merger of the Pittsburg Headlight and The Pittsburg Sun by the Stauffer organization. The publication produces coverage across local and state news, high school and Pittsburg State athletics, obituaries, opinion columns, lifestyle features, an events calendar, and a "Looking Back" historical archive plus an "America @ 250" trivia series. Its primary products are the print edition, the digital E-Edition, and an order-tunnel-based subscription service, all delivered through an Anvil CMS website (morningsun.net) with Tecnavia-integrated E-Edition access.
The business model combines recurring subscription revenue (print and digital), local advertising from Southeast Kansas businesses, and tax-deductible donations routed through the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas via the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. The company is headquartered in Pittsburg, Kansas with a secondary editorial presence in Girard, and operates with a lean 14-person staff. Technology footprint is minimal: a standard CMS-driven news website, no public APIs or developer integrations, no mobile applications, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.
THE MORNING SUN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- THE MORNING SUN
- Legal name
- The Morning Sun
- Website
- https://morningsun.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Morning Sun is a privately-held local newspaper serving Crawford County and Southeast Kansas, delivering print and digital E-Edition subscriptions, local advertising, and donation-funded community journalism from a 14-person staff based in Pittsburg, Kansas.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
THE MORNING SUN industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Newspaper
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (51311)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
Keywords
Where THE MORNING SUN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pittsburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
THE MORNING SUN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Subscriptions: Print and digital subscriptions providing access to content. Subscription packages available through the website order tunnel.
- Advertising: Local advertising revenue from businesses in the Southeast Kansas region.
- Donations: Support Local Journalism Project Fund accepting tax-deductible donations to support local reporters covering sports and news.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
THE MORNING SUN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Morning Sun is a local newspaper serving Pittsburg and Crawford County in Southeast Kansas, operating since 1879 through predecessor publications and under its current name since 1973. It publishes local news, sports, obituaries, opinion, lifestyle, and community event content in both print and digital (E-Edition) formats, funded by subscriptions, advertising, and tax-deductible community donations.
Product overview
THE MORNING SUN is a traditional local newspaper serving Pittsburg and Crawford County in southeast Kansas. Founded in 1879 through the lineage of the Pittsburg Exponent and subsequent iterations (The Pittsburg Democrat, The Pittsburg Headlight, The Pittsburg Sun), it merged in 1973 to become The Morning Sun. The publication operates as a single unified news platform offering multiple content sections: E-Edition (digital newspaper access), Local News, Sports, Obituaries, Opinion, Lifestyle, and Events Calendar. The product portfolio centers on local journalism covering community government, schools, sports, and social events. Additional offerings include the Looking Back historical archive series and the America @ 250 educational trivia series. Revenue is generated through subscriptions (print and digital) and advertising.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- E-Edition (Digital Newspaper) Digital version of the newspaper providing online access to all published content including local news, sports, obituaries, and opinion pieces for subscribers.
- Print Newspaper Subscription Print edition newspaper delivered to subscribers in Crawford County and Southeast Kansas, covering local news, sports, obituaries, opinion, lifestyle, and community events.
- Looking Back (Historical Archive) Historical newspaper archive preserving community history through retrospective articles covering local events from 25, 50, and 100 years ago.
Companies that use THE MORNING SUN
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
THE MORNING SUN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
THE MORNING SUN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Community Foundation of Southeast KansascorePartnership for the Support Local Journalism Project Fund accepting tax-deductible donations. Donations can be made online via QR code or by check to Support The Local Journalism Project, c/o Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas, 100 South Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
THE MORNING SUN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Axios Local: Digitally-native local news operation launched in select US cities. Not yet in Southeast Kansas, but represents the type of digital-first entrant that could eventually compete for local advertising and reader attention in the Morning Sun's market.
- Patch.com: Hyperlocal digital news network with thousands of community sites. Operates a low-cost digital-only model that competes for local SMB advertising in markets similar to Crawford County.
Direct peers
- Salina Journal: Kansas regional daily serving Saline County and surrounding central Kansas with print, E-Edition, and subscription model. Directly comparable small-market daily newspaper with similar GTM and revenue mix.
- Emporia Gazette: Independent Kansas community daily serving Lyon County with deep local roots. Comparable as an independently-owned Kansas small-town daily competing against regional and national media for local attention.
- The Joplin Globe: Regional daily newspaper serving Joplin, MO and the adjacent Four States region including Southeast Kansas. Directly comparable as a community daily of similar size covering a small metro with local government, sports, and community news.
- Hutchinson News: Long-standing Kansas regional daily covering Reno County with print and digital subscriptions. Closely comparable in scale, mission, and operating geography to The Morning Sun's Kansas small-city daily model.
Regional players
- The Topeka Capital-Journal: Larger Kansas daily serving the state capital region. Overlaps with The Morning Sun on Kansas state news and statewide sports coverage but operates in a different (capital city) market.
Broad incumbents
- Lee Enterprises: US newspaper chain operating dozens of local dailies including several in Kansas and the Midwest. A comparable scale player in the same local-news publishing category, with overlapping subscription and advertising products.
- The Wichita Eagle: Largest Kansas daily, owned by McClatchy. Covers statewide Kansas news and competes with The Morning Sun for statewide advertising dollars, but operates at a much larger scale in the Wichita MSA.
- Gannett (USA TODAY Network): Largest US newspaper publisher operating hundreds of local dailies and digital properties. Competes for national advertising and digital subscription dollars and represents both a competitive threat and a potential acquirer/partner for community papers like The Morning Sun.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
THE MORNING SUN social profiles
Digital presenceTHE MORNING SUN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
THE MORNING SUN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
THE MORNING SUN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
THE MORNING SUN 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 THE MORNING SUN
What does THE MORNING SUN do?
The Morning Sun is a local newspaper serving Pittsburg and Crawford County in Southeast Kansas, operating since 1879 through predecessor publications and under its current name since 1973. It publishes local news, sports, obituaries, opinion, lifestyle, and community event content in both print and digital (E-Edition) formats, funded by subscriptions, advertising, and tax-deductible community donations.
Is THE MORNING SUN a public or private company?
THE MORNING SUN is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was THE MORNING SUN founded?
THE MORNING SUN was founded in 1973. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is THE MORNING SUN based?
THE MORNING SUN is headquartered in Pittsburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does THE MORNING SUN make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising and donations.
Who are THE MORNING SUN's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Axios Local and Patch.com. Direct peers are Salina Journal, Emporia Gazette, The Joplin Globe and Hutchinson News. The Topeka Capital-Journal is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Lee Enterprises, The Wichita Eagle and Gannett (USA TODAY Network).
Does THE MORNING SUN have an API?
No public API is recorded for THE MORNING SUN.
What industry is THE MORNING SUN in?
THE MORNING SUN's product category is Local Newspaper. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 51311 and its SIC code is 2711.