Journal Star

Journal Star is Central Illinois' largest news source, providing news in print, online, and mobile 24 hours per day. Owned by Peoria Journal Star Inc., which is in turn owned by GateHouse Media, a publicly-traded company based in New York outside Rochester. The newspaper has a rich history, marking its 150th anniversary in 2005. Based in Peoria, a medium-sized city in the middle of Illinois on the west bank of the Illinois River, the publication serves an important tributary that links Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri. Peoria has evolved from a blue-collar town to a majority white-collar city, thanks in large part to a growing information technology industry. The area is also home to Bradley University and Illinois Central College. The tri-county area, comprising Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford Counties, is home to 350,958 people, with 182,495 in Peoria County alone. The city is surrounded by some of the richest farmland on earth, with agribusiness playing a major role in the central Illinois economy. The agricultural products are the mainstay along with the raising of farm stock, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research is located in Peoria. The dynamic and diversified demographics, along with the region's economic composition, present an attractive market for a news source like Journal Star.