Shaw Media expands footprint by acquiring Free Press newspapers: local outlets under new ownership

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• History of a local chain
• What Shaw Media says and what readers might expect

Shaw Media assumed ownership of the Free Press Newspapers — the Braidwood Journal, Coal City Courant and Free Press Advocate — effective Oct. 1, ending more than four decades of stewardship by the Fisher family. The sale underscores ongoing consolidation in local news as small, independently owned weeklies seek partners capable of sustaining community reporting.

The three weeklies serve Braidwood, Coal City and Wilmington and cover southern Will County and southeastern Grundy County. For residents who follow school boards, local courts and high school sports, the transfer raises immediate questions about continuity of coverage and how resources might change under a larger regional publisher.

History of a local chain

The Free Press began publishing in 1975. George and Janet Fisher bought the paper on Aug. 1, 1980, moving from other newspaper operations to build a small, family-run press in a community they found attractive for its small-town character and proximity to Chicago.

Over the years the Fishers expanded the business. In 1997 they acquired titles from Mitch and Sheridan Bailey in Coal City — adding the Courant and the Braidwood Journal — and later folded the Wilmington Advocate into what became the Free Press Advocate. The company also produced a summertime recreation title, The Outdoor Times, for more than two decades, and developed a total-market shopper known as the Prairie Shopper.

Throughout those changes, the Fishers emphasized intensely local reporting and community-focused editorial coverage, a commitment they said factored into the decision to transfer ownership to a larger publisher.

What Shaw Media says and what readers might expect

Shaw Media’s chief executive described the acquisition as an opportunity to carry forward the Fishers’ local journalism work while integrating the papers into a larger network of news operations. Shaw Media is itself a family-owned company with roots dating back to 1851 and a growing presence across northern Illinois.

• Continuity of local news: Shaw Media has publicly committed to maintaining locally focused reporting for the communities the Free Press serves.
• Potential resource changes: Being part of a larger publisher can bring broader distribution, digital tools and centralized production support, though specific operational adjustments were not detailed.
• Editorial emphasis: The Fisher family said they are confident Shaw will preserve the papers’ local orientation.
• Recent expansion: The deal follows Shaw Media’s 2024 purchase of the Kankakee Daily Journal, indicating an ongoing strategy of regional consolidation.

Eric Fisher framed the move as a necessary next step to ensure the weekly publications endure amid broad shifts in the business of community newspapers, where independent owners increasingly look to larger organizations to secure the future of local journalism.

The transition is effective as of Oct. 1. Shaw Media has said it plans to continue serving the same communities and to build on the legacy the Fishers established, while residents and local leaders will be watching how coverage, delivery and newsroom staffing evolve under new ownership.