Illinois publisher keeps weekly profitable by refusing website

The Perry County Weekly-Press is generating profit in a market where most competitors have closed their doors. Publisher Jeff Egbert achieved this by eliminating his newspaper’s website and limiting his presence on social media platforms. This approach forces readers to purchase physical copies or maintain subscriptions rather than consuming content for free online.

Egbert made this operational shift after observing that posting major stories online cannibalized rack sales. He noted that readers saw the content for free and had no incentive to buy the print edition. "It didn't take me long to realize we were basically making our own competition," Egbert said. The paper now operates with five employees and focuses on high-quality, original journalism to justify the cost of a physical copy.

The financial model relies on direct sales. The publication sells approximately 2,600 copies per week. Half of that circulation comes from subscriptions, while about 1,100 customers buy single issues from newsstands. Only 122 subscribers have opted for the electronic edition. These figures are notable given the county’s population of 20,160 residents and an average income under $31,000, according to U.S. Census data.

Egbert co-owns the paper with Jerry Reppert. The two merged The Pinckneyville Press and the Du Quoin Weekly into the current entity in 2020. Reppert recently sold five other newspapers to a chain that subsequently closed them in June. Egbert believes local ownership is essential to survival in a region that has seen more than a dozen newspaper closures in the southern Illinois area over the last year, according to Northwestern University research.

The publisher argues that large investment firms often strip local papers of resources, reducing staff to one or two people and moving operations to distant cities. "You can't run a paper in southern Illinois from New York or Chicago," Egbert said. He contends that local readers will support a paper that supports their community, a dynamic that corporate owners often fail to recognize.

Industry experts suggest Egbert’s strategy is gaining relevance as digital platforms change their rules. Meta will require publishers marketing on Facebook and Instagram to allow the company’s AI systems to ingest their work starting November 20. This policy has prompted many news organizations to reevaluate the value of their digital presence.

Michael Silberman, executive vice president at Piano, said publishers are facing major questions about protecting content and intellectual property rights. He advised that news organizations should consider walking away from Meta as a negotiating tactic to force policy changes. Egbert’s experience demonstrates that a physical product can remain viable if it offers distinct value that digital competitors cannot easily replicate.

The Weekly-Press maintains a 16 to 20-page format with four or five bylined stories on the front page each week. The paper features original photography and investigative reporting, including recent stories on traffic stops and vehicle impound fees. Stephanie Waller, the general manager, said the business model works because it respects the reading habits of their rural audience. "You can’t make them go to the website," Waller said. "They want that hard copy of that paper."