Neighborhood Newspaper Group

Neighborhood Newspaper Group is a local newspaper publisher based on Chicago's Southwest Side. Its publishing history is rooted in the Back of the Yards Journal, a weekly community paper established in January 1937 to serve the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Over time, the Journal's coverage expanded westward into nearby communities, including Brighton Park, Archer Heights, McKinley Park and, at points, Bridgeport. In February 2007, the Back of the Yards Journal adopted the name Journal News, reflecting the broader geographic scope of its reporting. The group's second principal publication, City Newshound, was founded in 2005 by Susan Malone after she left the Back of the Yards Journal, where she had served as editor-in-chief. Based in Garfield Ridge, City Newshound was created to cover Garfield Ridge and Clearing. Its editorial identity included substantial attention to pets and a policy of publishing lost-pet advertisements without charge. Malone later acquired the Back of the Yards Journal in August 2007 and consolidated the publications at City Newshound's headquarters on Archer Avenue. The publisher's papers are released weekly on Wednesdays. The Journal News covers Archer Heights, Brighton Park and McKinley Park, while City Newshound covers Clearing and Garfield Ridge. Their content mix has historically combined classified advertising, business and community press releases, local announcements, occasional original reporting and recurring community columns. Features documented for the publications include neighborhood profiles under “Meet Your Neighbor,” music commentary in “Music Corner,” and poetry by local writers in “Poet's Pen.” Earlier features included “Sporthound,” which covered local sports, and “Paw Prints,” a pet-oriented column that ended after its author and company advertising manager and community liaison, Julia Ferrel, died in July 2012. The group has periodically changed its facilities and media relationships in response to its evolving coverage area. It moved from the former Journal headquarters near 47th Street and Damen Avenue to the City Newshound location, later relocating in summer 2012 to a two-story building in Clearing. In November 2013, it announced a partnership with Southwest Chicago Post, a neighborhood news blog serving overlapping communities. Under that arrangement, City Newshound began carrying the blog's crime coverage, while Southwest Chicago Post made PDF editions of City Newshound available on its website. The publisher's history also reflects the challenges faced by neighborhood newspapers as local demographics and audience needs change. The Back of the Yards Journal moved away from a single-neighborhood focus as its original audience changed. The Back of the Yards Community Council urged the publication to adopt bilingual coverage, but the publisher concluded that such an approach would not be financially viable. Available reference material does not identify a current corporate parent, public listing, standalone website, financial results or a broader national operating network.

Neighborhood Newspaper Group traces its roots to the Back of the Yards Journal, founded in January 1937 as a newspaper for Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood. The paper was initially centered on one community and operated from a strip-mall location near 47th Street and Damen Avenue. As the surrounding population and neighborhood identities changed, its editorial and commercial focus moved westward. Coverage came to include predominantly ethnic white neighborhoods beyond Back of the Yards, and later extended to Brighton Park, Archer Heights, McKinley Park and Bridgeport. The publication faced difficulty maintaining relevance to its original neighborhood as local demographics changed. The Back of the Yards Community Council encouraged the Journal to introduce bilingual coverage, but the publisher decided that this would not be profitable. This tension between a traditional neighborhood identity and a changing audience contributed to the paper's gradual shift toward a wider Southwest Side readership. In 2005, Susan Malone left her position as editor-in-chief of the Back of the Yards Journal and established City Newshound. The new paper operated from 7019 West Archer Avenue in Garfield Ridge and concentrated on Garfield Ridge and Clearing. Malone gave the publication a distinctive community-service orientation, including frequent pet coverage and free lost-pet advertisements. The Journal's name changed to Journal News in February 2007, a change intended to represent its broader service area. In August of the same year, Malone acquired the Back of the Yards Journal and moved its headquarters to the City Newshound site. The two publications subsequently operated as related community newspapers under the group, with Journal News serving Archer Heights, Brighton Park and McKinley Park, and City Newshound serving Clearing and Garfield Ridge. Both were published weekly on Wednesdays. During summer 2012, the group moved again, taking its headquarters to a two-story building in Clearing. Its newspapers remained primarily composed of classified advertisements and press releases or bulletins from local businesses and community organizations, supplemented by occasional original articles and regular columns. Documented columns included “Meet Your Neighbor,” “Music Corner” and “Poet's Pen.” Earlier features included “Sporthound” and “Paw Prints,” the latter ending after columnist Julia Ferrel died in July 2012. On November 14, 2013, the group announced a partnership between City Newshound and Southwest Chicago Post, a neighborhood news blog with overlapping geographic coverage. City Newshound began publishing the Post's crime reporting, while the Post added PDF copies of City Newshound to its website. The available reference material does not establish a later ownership change, current leadership roster, financial profile or corporate parent.

1. 2013Southwest Chicago Post partnership announced

   City Newshound and the neighborhood blog formed a content and distribution partnership.

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2. 2012Headquarters moved to Clearing

   The publisher relocated to a two-story building in Chicago's Clearing neighborhood.

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3. 2007Journal News name adopted

   The Back of the Yards Journal was renamed Journal News as its coverage expanded.

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4. 2007Back of the Yards Journal acquired

   Susan Malone acquired the paper in August and consolidated it with City Newshound's operations.

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5. 2005City Newshound launched

   Susan Malone founded City Newshound after leaving the Back of the Yards Journal, targeting Garfield Ridge and Clearing.

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6. 1937Back of the Yards Journal established

   The community newspaper was founded in January to serve Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood.

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A hyperlocal community-news publisher focused on neighborhood information, local advertising, announcements and selected original reporting for Chicago's Southwest Side.

• Journal NewsWeekly community newspaper1937

  Journal News is the successor to the Back of the Yards Journal. It serves Archer Heights, Brighton Park and McKinley Park on Chicago's Southwest Side, with a broader geographic remit than the original single-neighborhood publication. Its weekly Wednesday editions combine classified advertising, local announcements, business and community press releases, occasional original news and recurring neighborhood columns.

• City NewshoundWeekly community newspaper2005

  City Newshound was founded in 2005 to cover Garfield Ridge and Clearing. The publication has emphasized community-level information, including pet-related articles and free lost-pet advertisements, alongside classifieds, press releases, local bulletins and selected original reporting. It later partnered with Southwest Chicago Post to publish the blog's crime coverage and distribute PDF editions through the blog's website.

• 2013Partnership with Southwest Chicago PostStrategy

  Southwest Chicago Post was a neighborhood news blog covering communities that overlapped with City Newshound's market.

  What changed. The parties agreed that City Newshound would publish the blog's crime coverage, while the blog would host PDF copies of the newspaper.

  Aftermath. The arrangement linked print community coverage with online reporting and digital newspaper distribution.

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• 2012Headquarters relocationStrategy

  The publisher's publications were serving multiple neighborhoods on Chicago's Southwest Side.

  What changed. During summer 2012, the group moved its headquarters to a two-story building in Clearing.

  Aftermath. The relocation placed the publisher in one of the communities covered by City Newshound.

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• 2007Renaming the Back of the Yards JournalStrategy

  The original newspaper had expanded its coverage beyond Back of the Yards into several Southwest Side neighborhoods.

  What changed. The publisher adopted the Journal News name in February 2007.

  Aftermath. The new name positioned the paper as a broader Southwest Side publication rather than a single-neighborhood journal.

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• 2007Acquisition and operational consolidationM&A

  Susan Malone had already launched City Newshound after leaving the Back of the Yards Journal.

  What changed. In August 2007, Malone acquired the Back of the Yards Journal and moved its headquarters to City Newshound's location.

  Aftermath. The related publications operated under a common neighborhood-publishing structure while retaining distinct coverage areas and names.

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• 2013City Newshound partnered with Southwest Chicago Post

  The partnership gave City Newshound access to the blog's crime coverage and enabled the blog to distribute PDF copies of the newspaper.

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• 2012Neighborhood Newspaper Group moved to a Clearing facility

  The publisher relocated its headquarters to a two-story building in Chicago's Clearing neighborhood during the summer.

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• 2007Back of the Yards Journal renamed Journal News

  The publication changed its name to Journal News as its coverage extended beyond the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

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• 2007Susan Malone acquired Back of the Yards Journal

  In August, Susan Malone acquired the long-running community newspaper and moved its operations to City Newshound's location.

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1. Neighborhood Newspaper Group