About Us

The Shaw Local News Network is a wide-reaching network of local newspapers embedded in the communities we serve across Northern Illinois. All the news is gathered in one place, offering our subscribers the unique opportunity to choose the news they read. Whatever their interest, in the neighborhood, village, county or around the region, access to the local news online at ShawLocal.com is available 24/7.

Shaw Media is an exciting mix of strengths. We are an agile, industry-leading media company. We are high functioning, employee oriented and – above all else – committed to our communities.

We are the proud owners of the third oldest, continuously owned and operated family newspaper in the nation. Our legacy of success dates back to our founding in 1851. We are also the nation’s 8th-largest newspaper publisher. That success has been due to our talented group of over 300 employees who put their very best into Shaw Media’s award-winning daily and weekly print and online publications located in Illinois and Iowa. And our history of success continues.

The pedigree of Shaw Media reads like a fascinating lesson in American history—involving documented Mayflower ancestry and government office in the Plymouth colonies; a daring, orphaned 14 year-old pony express rider turned printer/newspaper editor; the founding of the early Republican party; partnership with no less than Abraham Lincoln; and a determined businesswoman blazing professional trails in the early 1900s. It’s a story characterized by tenacity, drive, and vision—the same qualities that still define Shaw Media today.