Wyoming Press Association Inc

What Wyoming Press Association Inc does

Wyoming Press Association Inc (WPA) is a 148-year-old nonprofit trade association founded in 1877 and headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, that serves as the collective representative body for all 39 legal newspapers in the state of Wyoming. The organization is governed by a board of directors elected by its member publishers and operated day-to-day by a lean staff led by Executive Director Steve Kiggins (appointed November 2025), Deputy Director Elizabeth Sampson (October 2024), and Wyoming News Exchange Director Mary Angell. WPA operates exclusively in the United States within a single state (Wyoming), with no parent company or external investors, having recently sold its Cheyenne office and shifted to a distributed model.

The association's core products and services include the WPA Member Directory, a Statewide Advertising Program that places ads across all participating member newspapers, the Wyoming News Exchange content-sharing network, and recurring journalism contests including the Pacemaker Awards, Associate Members Contest, and the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting (awarded jointly with the A-Mark Foundation). Supporting services encompass the WPA Newsletter, Ebulletin Archives, Public Information Resources on open meeting and public record laws, an internship-funding WPA Foundation, Lunch and Learn webinars, and an annual convention. The technology footprint is minimal, limited to a BLOX CMS website (wyopress.org) with no proprietary AI or software products.

WPA's revenue model is a mix of recurring membership dues (regular membership limited to legal newspaper publishers meeting statutory circulation and frequency thresholds, plus associate memberships for allied organizations), advertising placement fees (transaction-based advertising services plus statewide ad programs with rates varying by ad size and placement), and contest entry fees (priced at $7 per entry for most Pacemaker categories, with major awards free to enter). Distribution is primarily direct via board engagement, conventions, and digital channels (email newsletter, Facebook, LinkedIn). The membership pool is capped at the total number of Wyoming legal newspapers, and the underlying newspaper industry faces secular print-circulation decline, which frames the long-term revenue outlook.

Name

Wyoming Press Association Inc

Legal name

Wyoming Press Association Inc

Website

https://wyopress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1877

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wyoming Press Association Inc is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1877 that represents all 39 legal newspapers in Wyoming through membership services, statewide advertising distribution, journalism contests, and press-freedom advocacy from Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Newspaper trade association services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Media Relations & Press Office Services (BPAFADAF)

Keywords

• Newspaper trade association
• Press freedom advocacy
• Journalism awards program
• Statewide advertising distribution
• Member directory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheyenne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Regular membership limited to publishers of legal newspapers meeting circulation and frequency requirements; associate membership available for allied businesses and organizations supporting the industry.
2. Statewide Advertising Programs: Distributes advertisements to all participating WPA member newspapers across Wyoming, providing statewide reach for advertisers.
3. Contest Entry Fees: Pacemaker Awards contest entry fees ($7 per entry), Major Awards have no entry fee.
4. Advertising Placement Services: Advertising services including placement coordination for member newspapers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wyoming Press Association is a nonprofit trade association serving all 39 legal newspapers in Wyoming. It provides membership-based services including statewide advertising distribution across member newspapers, professional development through annual journalism contests (Pacemaker Awards, A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting, Associate Members Contest), advocacy for press freedoms and open government laws, networking through an annual convention and webinars, member directories, the Wyoming News Exchange content-sharing network, and internship funding through the WPA Foundation.

Product overview

The Wyoming Press Association (WPA) operates as a full-service trade association for Wyoming's legal newspapers, offering a portfolio of membership services, advertising programs, and journalism awards. The core offerings include the WPA Member Directory listing all 39 member newspapers, the Statewide Advertising Programs for multi-paper ad distribution, and various contest programs including the Pacemaker Awards, Associate Members Contest, and A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism. Supporting services include the WPA Newsletter, Ebulletin Archives, Public Information Resources (Open Meeting Laws, Public Record Laws), and the Wyoming News Exchange for content sharing. The organization, established in 1877, is governed by a board of directors and provides member newspapers with advertising placement, professional development through contests, and advocacy for press freedom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Wyoming News ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent sharing network among WPA member newspapers allowing distribution of stories across the state. Managed by Mary Angell, WNE Director.
• National Newspaper Association (NNA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation providing advocacy, contests, and professional development resources for Wyoming newspapers.
• WPA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation arm that funds journalism internships, Hall of Fame inductions, and supports newspaper industry initiatives.
• Wyoming Department of TransportationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociate member providing public information through Wyoming newspapers, including highway and transportation updates.
• Wyoming PBSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPublic broadcasting partner that coordinates with newspapers on coverage and public information campaigns.
• University of WyomingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner through journalism programs, student media, and institutional communications. Includes Extension Technology and Communications, School of Energy Resources, and Student Media departments.
• AARP WyomingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociate member utilizing newspapers for communication with Wyoming seniors about advocacy and membership.
• Wyoming Business AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNewest associate member helping with business community connections to newspaper coverage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Newspaper Association: The national umbrella trade association for community and state newspaper associations. WPA has an established core partnership with NNA; NNA operates at national scale over the same membership/advocacy model.
• America's Newspapers: National trade association representing larger daily and community newspapers through advocacy and industry services. Broader incumbent player operating at national scale over an overlapping membership base.
• Local Media Association: National nonprofit supporting local news organizations with training, content, and audience-development programs. Overlaps with WPA's professional-development mission for member newspapers.

Direct peers

• Colorado Press Association: State-level nonprofit trade association serving Colorado's newspapers with advocacy, training, contests, and advertising services. Most direct functional and structural analog to WPA among neighboring states.
• Montana Newspaper Association: Montana's statewide trade association for newspapers providing legal notice placement, advocacy, advertising services, and journalism contests. Highly comparable given similar rural, low-population state profile.
• Nebraska Press Association: Nebraska's statewide newspaper trade association offering membership services, press-freedom advocacy, awards programs, and statewide advertising placement. Operates the same model as WPA for a different rural state.
• Utah Press Association: Utah's statewide newspaper trade association offering member services, press advocacy, and awards programs. Another regional peer operating in an adjacent geography with the same model.
• Idaho Press Association: Idaho's statewide newspaper trade association delivering advocacy, professional development, and member services to legal newspapers. Mirrors WPA's structure for another small western state.
• New Mexico Press Association: Statewide nonprofit serving New Mexico's newspapers with advocacy, advertising placement, and journalism awards. Comparable regional peer serving a small-population western state.
• Kansas Press Association: Kansas-based nonprofit trade association for the state's newspapers, providing legal notice services, advocacy, advertising programs, and journalism contests. Structurally analogous to WPA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Wyoming-Press-Association-136846026332258
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wheat-enterprises

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Wyoming Press Association Inc