The Source Weekly

What The Source Weekly does

The Source Weekly, operated by Lay It Out Inc. since 1997, is a privately held, locally owned independent news publication serving Bend and the broader Central Oregon region (Redmond, Sisters, and surrounding communities). Its core product is a weekly print edition paired with a daily-updated digital publication at bendsource.com under the tagline "Bend's Digital Daily." The publication covers local news, government accountability, business, culture, music, food and drink, outdoor recreation, and community events, and is supported editorially by the Lay It Out Foundation, a nonprofit arm that funds investigative and accountability reporting through tax-deductible member donations.

The company has expanded its product surface into six segmented email newsletters (Cascades Reader daily, Cascades Eats, Source Perks, Business Brief, Weekender, and the quarterly Bend Nest), four podcast series (Bend Don't Break, Bend Into Balance, Nighttime Benders, The Lunchbucket Podcast), the BendTicket event-ticketing platform, a community events calendar at community.bendsource.com, and annual print special issues including Best of Central Oregon, Restaurant Guide, Central Oregon Pets, and Toast!. The underlying technology stack is commodity publishing infrastructure: Newspack on WordPress for CMS, Buzzsprout for podcast hosting, and Tomorrow.io for weather data.

The business model is a hybrid of voluntary reader donations (one-time, monthly $10–$85, and annual $120–$1,000 tiers), local print and digital advertising, sponsored newsletter placements, and annual special-issue sponsorships. There is no paywall on content access. Distribution is regional and multi-channel, combining pickup-location print distribution across Central Oregon, the owned digital properties, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, and owned events such as the Ink & Insights Speaker Series and Theater in the Park. No external institutional investment, funding rounds, or acquisitions are disclosed.

Name

The Source Weekly

Legal name

Lay It Out Inc.

Website

https://bendsource.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local News and Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Local journalism
• Community news
• Newsletter publishing
• Event ticketing
• Digital media

Headquarters

HQ city

Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Member Donations: Tax-deductible donations through Source Member program supporting the Lay It Out Foundation nonprofit arm. Members receive exclusive content, event invitations, behind-the-scenes updates, and member-only surveys. Donation tiers include one-time ($25-$150+), monthly ($10-$85), and annual ($120-$1000) options.
2. Print and Digital Advertising: Local business advertising in print issues and digital properties. Advertisers can target audiences through sponsored content, newsletter blasts, and the media kit packages.
3. Special Issue Publications: Annual special issues including Restaurant Guide, Best of Central Oregon, Bend Nest, Toast!, Central Oregon Pets, and seasonal guides sold/distributed to the community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Source Weekly is a locally owned independent news publication serving Central Oregon since 1997, delivering local journalism across print, digital, newsletter, podcast, and event ticketing formats. It operates as a community-supported outlet funded through the Source Member donation program administered by its nonprofit arm, the Lay It Out Foundation. The publication covers local news, business, culture, food and drink, music, and community events through The Source Weekly newspaper, six email newsletters, multiple podcast series, and special annual print guides.

Product overview

The Source Weekly is a locally owned independent news publication serving Central Oregon since 1997. The company operates a unified product portfolio centered on its core print and digital news publication (The Source Weekly), supplemented by six distinct email newsletter products (Cascades Reader, Cascades Eats, Source Perks, The Business Brief, The Weekender, Bend Nest), four podcast series (Nighttime Benders, Bend Don't Break, Bend Into Balance, The Lunchbucket Podcast), and digital platform services including BendTicket event ticketing and a community events calendar. All journalism operations are supported by the nonprofit Lay It Out Foundation, which powers the Source Member program and handles fundraising for investigative reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cascades Reader: Daily newsletter delivering local news, events and community stories seven days a week.
• Cascades Eats
• The Business Brief
• The Weekender
• Bend Nest
• Lay It Out Foundation

Products and services

• The Source Weekly Newspaper Central Oregon's locally owned independent newspaper covering local news, culture, opinion, food and drink, music, and community events, published weekly in print and daily online.
• Cascades Reader Newsletter Daily email newsletter delivering local news, event information, podcasts, and community stories to subscribers seven days a week.
• Cascades Eats Newsletter Weekly newsletter focused on food and drink coverage in Central Oregon, featuring restaurant recommendations, recipes, and culinary event information.
• Source Perks Newsletter Weekly newsletter featuring exclusive local deals and discounts from Bend restaurants and shops, delivered every Wednesday.
• The Business Brief Newsletter Weekly newsletter providing the latest Central Oregon business news, insights, and community updates.
• The Weekender Newsletter Weekly event newsletter delivered on Fridays spotlighting local shows, band interviews, and area events in Central Oregon.
• Bend Nest Magazine Quarterly parenting magazine with newsletter updates covering Central Oregon families and parenting topics.
• Nighttime Benders Podcast Comedy podcast featuring local Central Oregon comedians discussing culture, sports, community events, and hosting guest interviews.
• Bend Don't Break Podcast Interview podcast hosted by Aaron Switzer featuring conversations with local Central Oregon business and community leaders.
• Bend Into Balance Podcast Wellness-focused podcast hosted by Adriana Marino featuring interviews with local health, fitness, and outdoor lifestyle experts.
• The Lunchbucket Podcast Podcast exploring food, work, and community life in Central Oregon, featuring interviews with local food industry professionals.
• BendTicket Event Ticketing Event ticketing platform for Central Oregon events, integrated with the publication's community events calendar.
• Community Events Platform Online community platform for discovering and submitting local events in Bend and Central Oregon, accessible to both consumers and event organizers.
• Print Special Issues Annual printed publications including Best of Central Oregon guide, Restaurant Guide, Central Oregon Pets, Toast food/drink guide, and Central Oregon Give Guide.
• Lay It Out Foundation Member Program Nonprofit membership program of Lay It Out Inc. that funds investigative and community-impact journalism through the Source Member program and tax-deductible donations, offering members exclusive content, event invitations, and behind-the-scenes updates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports independent investigative journalism through Lay It Out Foundation

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lay It Out FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lay It Out Foundation (LIOF) is the nonprofit arm of Lay It Out Inc., publisher of The Source. All Source Member contributions are tax-deductible and fund investigative, accountability, and community-impact reporting. The Foundation supports journalism that strengthens democracy and keeps Central Oregon informed.
• Central Oregon GivesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual regional giving campaign that celebrates and supports nonprofits across Central Oregon. LIOF participates each year, amplifying impact during the campaign period.
• Deschutes Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for community programming and event coverage, including library event guides and the 'A Novel Idea' reading program.
• Old Mill DistrictminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketing partnership featuring Old Mill District guides, events, and advertising through The Source's platforms and publications.
• High Desert Food & Farm AllianceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for annual Local Food Guide publication and food/farm coverage in Central Oregon.
• Tower TheatreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for 'Live at the Tower' event guides and entertainment coverage.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Willamette Week: Portland, Oregon alternative weekly newspaper with print + digital + events + advertising model covering local news, culture, and politics. Closely comparable geography (Oregon) and product mix to The Source Weekly.
• Denver Westword: Long-running Denver alternative weekly with print, digital, newsletters, event programming, and a similar local-culture + journalism + advertising mix. Comparable alt-weekly business model.
• Portland Mercury: Portland's alternative weekly covering news, culture, and music in print and online. Operates on a similar alt-weekly print + digital + events model in the same state as The Source Weekly.
• Austin Chronicle: Long-established Texas alt-weekly combining investigative journalism, cultural coverage, and event listings with print and digital distribution. Closely comparable model with broader event and franchise operations.
• Boise Weekly: Idaho's primary alternative weekly covering Boise-area news, arts, food, and events with print + digital + newsletter mix. Comparable Mountain West independent-weekly positioning to The Source Weekly.
• Riverfront Times: St. Louis alternative weekly covering local news, dining, arts, and music in print and online. Operates a comparable alt-weekly business model with multi-format content distribution.
• Nashville Scene: Tennessee alt-weekly covering news, arts, dining, and music, with print and digital formats and similar advertiser-supported model in a fast-growing metro comparable to Bend.
• Eugene Weekly: Oregon-based independent alternative weekly serving the Eugene/Springfield market with local news, culture, and events content. Closely comparable product mix and Pacific Northwest geography.
• Santa Fe Reporter: Independent weekly covering news, arts, and culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico with print and digital editions. Comparable independent alt-weekly scale and rural/secondary-market positioning.

Emerging players

• Block Club Chicago: Nonprofit, member-supported Chicago local-news startup founded by former DNAinfo staff. Comparable community-supported, nonprofit-arms local news model with newsletter-driven distribution, though pure-digital versus The Source's hybrid print/digital.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/thesourceweekly
• Facebookfacebook.com/sourceweekly
• Instagraminstagram.com/bendsource
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sourceweekly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 The Source Weekly