Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper
The Inquisitor is a privately held weekly newspaper and digital news platform serving the Shreveport-Bossier City region across four Northwest Louisiana parishes, operated by Settle Talk, LLC with 8 employees and generating revenue through subscriptions, advertising, and legal notices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersBossier City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper does
The Inquisitor is a privately held local weekly newspaper founded on April 17, 1997 by Danny Lawler — a former Caddo Parish police officer — to fill a reporting gap on local law enforcement activity in Northwest Louisiana. Headquartered at 1915 Citizens Bank Drive in Bossier City, the publication operates with approximately 8 employees and is owned by Settle Talk, LLC (controlled by John E. Settle Jr.) following an October 2019 acquisition from founder Danny Lawler after 22 years of operation. The publication self-describes as the largest paid weekly newspaper in Louisiana and serves readers across the Caddo, Bossier, Webster, and DeSoto Parishes of the Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan region. Its editorial scope centers on local news, crime reporting, community events, regional sports, obituaries, opinion columns, legal notices, and marketplace listings.
The business operates a digital-first, multi-channel distribution model. Core products include a weekly print edition, an online website (www.theinquisitor.com), a subscription-gated e-edition, and the Focus SB weekly supplement sub-brand — a positive-news section featuring a roster of named local columnists. Distribution is supplemented by social media presence on Facebook, X, and Instagram, email/newsletter distribution, and an event-coverage/video channel. Revenue is generated through a combination of print and digital subscriptions (with login-gated premium content), display and classified advertising (formalized via a standard rate chart), and legal-notice publication tied to the Louisiana Public Notices statewide database. Adjacent revenue streams include marketplace listings and event-related partnerships such as coverage of Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission activities.
Technically, the publication runs on standard digital publishing infrastructure (described only as a digital-first news platform with e-edition capability) with no proprietary technology stack, AI/ML capabilities, API exposure, or mobile applications disclosed. The business has no public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, no subsidiaries, and operates as a single-entity local media property with focused regional reach. Notable recognition includes four awards in the 2020 Louisiana Press Association Better Newspaper Contest and partnerships with the City of Shreveport, SUSLA, Cohab, and regional chambers of commerce on the Shreve.biz COVID-19 business helpdesk initiative.
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper
- Legal name
- The Inquisitor
- Website
- https://theinquisitor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Inquisitor is a privately held weekly newspaper and digital news platform serving the Shreveport-Bossier City region across four Northwest Louisiana parishes, operated by Settle Talk, LLC with 8 employees and generating revenue through subscriptions, advertising, and legal notices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Weekly Newspaper
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
Keywords
Where Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bossier City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Inquisitor is the largest paid weekly newspaper in Louisiana, publishing local news, crime, community events, sports, obituaries, columns/opinions, legal notices and marketplace listings for the Shreveport-Bossier City and surrounding Caddo, Bossier, Webster and DeSoto Parish readership. Distribution spans a weekly print edition, a continuously updated website (theinquisitor.com), a digital e-Edition and the Focus SB positive-news weekly section, with revenue from subscriptions, advertising and legal-notice placements.
Product overview
The Inquisitor is a single unified local newspaper product with multiple distribution formats and content sections. The core offering consists of the main newspaper (print and digital) providing local news coverage for Shreveport-Bossier City, distributed via traditional print, the e-Edition digital version, and the Focus SB newsletter highlighting positive community news. Additional offerings include legal notice publication and a marketplace section.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The Inquisitor (Main Newspaper) Largest paid weekly newspaper in Louisiana, providing local news, crime reports, community events, sports, obituaries, columns and opinions, legal notices and marketplace listings for Caddo, Bossier, Webster and DeSoto Parishes, delivered via weekly print, a continuously updated website and an e-Edition for individual readers and local advertisers.
- e-Edition Digital replica of the weekly print newspaper delivered online to subscribers, allowing electronic access to the full publication for individual readers of The Inquisitor.
- Focus SB Weekly newsletter/section of The Inquisitor featuring positive news on Northwest Louisiana with contributions from local columnists covering politics, sports and community topics, targeted at individual readers in the Shreveport-Bossier City region.
- Legal Notices Public-notice publication service for legal announcements published through The Inquisitor and syndicated via the statewide Louisiana Public Notices database, used by attorneys, local businesses and individuals to satisfy Louisiana legal-notice requirements.
Companies that use Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Shreveport-Bossier Sports CommissionminorThe Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission is credited for hosting the Red River Balloon Rally event, working hard to relocate and manage the event when venue changes were necessitated. The Inquisitor covers events hosted by this commission.
- City of Shreveport, SUSLA, Cohab, Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, Shreveport-Bossier African American ChambercorePartnership launched Shreve.biz, a helpdesk for local businesses navigating COVID-19 economic strains. The initiative provided free business counseling, SBA Disaster Loan assistance, and federal stimulus information access.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Gannett Co. Gannett is the largest U.S. newspaper publisher and owner of The Shreveport Times, the dominant daily in the Inquisitor's home market. As a broad incumbent, Gannett competes for local advertising budgets and digital subscription share across Northwest Louisiana, though it does not specialize in weekly hyperlocal coverage.
- The Shreveport Times: The Shreveport Times is the daily newspaper serving the same Shreveport-Bossier City market as The Inquisitor. It is owned by Gannett and competes for local news readership and advertising dollars in the same four-parish footprint, though at a daily cadence and broader scope.
- Lee Enterprises: Lee Enterprises is a major U.S. community newspaper group operating dailies and weeklies across small and mid-sized markets. It is comparable as a community-publisher business model operating in similar-sized markets, with overlapping subscription and advertising mechanics.
- Alden Global Capital (MediaNews Group): Alden Global Capital through MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing owns a portfolio of community and metropolitan newspapers across the U.S. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in the local newspaper space with subscription and advertising business mechanics similar to The Inquisitor's.
Regional players
- The Advocate (Louisiana): The Advocate is the principal daily newspaper of Baton Rouge and has expanded statewide digital coverage across Louisiana. It is comparable as a Louisiana-based regional newspaper pursuing subscription and digital growth, though it operates in a different primary market than The Inquisitor.
- The Acadiana Advocate: The Acadiana Advocate serves the Lafayette/Acadiana region of Louisiana with subscription-based local news. It is comparable as a Louisiana regional subscription news outlet serving a similar-sized secondary market, though geographically distinct from Shreveport-Bossier.
- NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune / New Orleans Advocate: NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune / New Orleans Advocate deliver local and statewide news across Louisiana with a paid digital subscription model. Comparable as a Louisiana subscription-based local news outlet pursuing digital audience monetization, although focused on the New Orleans market.
Direct peers
- SB Magazine: SB Magazine is a regional lifestyle and community publication serving Shreveport-Bossier City with local editorial coverage and advertising. It is a direct peer competing for the same local readership and small-business advertising budget in the Inquisitor's home market.
- 318 Forum Magazine: 318 Forum is a Shreveport-Bossier City regional magazine covering local news, culture, and community topics. It is a direct peer operating in the same hyperlocal market with overlapping content categories and the same local advertising target customers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper social profiles
Digital presenceFocus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper 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 Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper
What does Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper do?
The Inquisitor is the largest paid weekly newspaper in Louisiana, publishing local news, crime, community events, sports, obituaries, columns/opinions, legal notices and marketplace listings for the Shreveport-Bossier City and surrounding Caddo, Bossier, Webster and DeSoto Parish readership. Distribution spans a weekly print edition, a continuously updated website (theinquisitor.com), a digital e-Edition and the Focus SB positive-news weekly section, with revenue from subscriptions, advertising and legal-notice placements.
Is Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper a public or private company?
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper founded?
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper based?
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper is headquartered in Bossier City, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Gannett Co., The Shreveport Times, Lee Enterprises and Alden Global Capital (MediaNews Group). Regional players are The Advocate (Louisiana), The Acadiana Advocate and NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune / New Orleans Advocate. Direct peers are SB Magazine and 318 Forum Magazine.
Does Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper have an API?
No public API is recorded for Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper.
What industry is Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper in?
Focus SB / Inquisitor Newspaper's product category is Local Weekly 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.