Founded In Wisconsin - The Waukesha Freeman Newspaper

On March 29, 1859, Martin Cullaton relocated the Watertown Transcript to Waukesha and rebranded it as the Freeman to advocate for the anti-slavery movement in a region involved with the Underground Railroad. The subscription cost was $1.50 per year, or $1 if paid in advance.

Within six months, Cullaton sold the Freeman to L.B. Wright, and over the next fifteen years, the newspaper changed ownership several times. In April 1861, the publication characterized the onset of the Civil War as a struggle between liberty and tyranny. Robert Engbring's 1970 thesis at Marquette University explores the Freeman's stance on civil rights through 1863. Under the leadership of Theron W. Haight, the Freeman evolved into a "school of journalism," cultivating future media leaders, including the founder of the Milwaukee Journal. Haight eventually sold the newspaper to his brother-in-law, Henry Mott Youmans.

The Evolution and Legacy of the Freeman Newspaper: A Journey of Innovation and Leadership

In 1874, Henry M. Youmans assumed leadership of the Freeman, spearheading modernization efforts with new office facilities and technological advancements. His wife, Theodora Winton Youmans, utilized the publication to advocate for women's suffrage, notably producing a "Club Women’s Edition" in 1902 and contributing a weekly column starting in 1912. By 1920, the Freeman had merged with other local newspapers to form the Waukesha Daily Freeman. Leadership transitioned to Henry A. Youmans in 1930, and following his death in 1942, Josephine Youmans became the paper's second female leader. After World War II, the Freeman gained national recognition, receiving a Pulitzer Prize recommendation in 1952 and publishing the first 3D picture in 1953. A landmark legal case in 1963 prompted the Wisconsin Supreme Court to establish the "balancing test" for public records inspection, a principle that endures today.

The Youmans family sold the Freeman to the Des Moines Register and Tribune Company in the late 1970s, concluding 110 years of family leadership by 1980. Thomson Newspapers acquired the publication in 1983 and relocated it in 1991. The paper received WNA general-excellence awards in 1993 and 1994, maintaining a circulation of approximately 22,000 before 1996.

James E. Conley Jr. expanded his media portfolio by purchasing the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen in 1969 and later acquiring the Freeman from Thomson in 1997. A circulation decline to 17,466 by 1997 resulted from a price war with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, leading to an unsuccessful antitrust lawsuit in 2000. Conley restructured his assets, selling the Daily Citizen in 2002 and Conley Printing’s plant in 2010. The Freeman now shares infrastructure with other local newspapers. Following Jim Conley's death in 2020, Rhonda R. Smith became president and CEO of Conley Media in 2022. The Freeman continues to invest in county records, earning a WNA general excellence award in 2018, launching a news app in 2023, and maintaining strong coverage of courts, government, and prep sports.

Industry and Market Context

Waukesha County, Wisconsin, emerges as a promising market for a subscription-based newspaper, supported by its affluent and well-educated population of approximately 417,000 residents. This demographic is particularly well-suited to support a daily newspaper, in contrast to many other areas where such publications have disappeared. The Freeman operates in a challenging environment characterized by declining U.S. print advertising and circulation since 2005. Its primary competitor, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, has experienced substantial reductions in print circulation and local staffing. The legal requirement in Wisconsin for municipalities to publish notices in certified newspapers offers a stable revenue stream for county papers like the Freeman, although potential legislative changes could pose a threat to this stability.

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Strategic Analysis of the Newspaper Industry and Waukesha Freeman

The following sections apply the series’ standard framework sequence. The analysis concerns the Freeman as a business unit within Conley Media; because the company is private, financial observations are qualitative and should be tested against any figures management is willing to share.

Strategy Diamond (Hambrick & Fredrickson)

Element	The Freeman’s Answer
Arenas	Waukesha County’s 37 municipalities; local government, courts, schools, prep sports, business and obituaries; readers 45+ and local small and mid-size advertisers; public bodies needing legal notice.
Vehicles	Acquisition by an owner-operator group (1997); portfolio pruning (Daily Citizen 2002, printing 2010); clustered shared services across four papers; partnerships (Newspapers.com archive, NewsBank).
Differentiators	Brand heritage and “trusted since 1859” positioning; hyperlocal depth the regional daily no longer supplies; comprehensive prep-sports coverage; official-record status.
Staging	Defend print (Tue–Sat) while migrating to e-edition, app and web; add events and reader-award franchises; pursue digital subscriptions and bundled advertising.
Economic logic	Scope economies from shared editorial, circulation and ad operations across the cluster; premium pricing to a loyal core; statutory notice revenue as a floor; variable-cost printing rather than owned capital.

Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological and Legal Trends affecting the Freeman

Most U.S. newsprint is sourced tariff-free from Canada under USMCA, but potential changes could affect costs for the Freeman. Election periods boost readership and ad revenue, as seen in the 2026 mayoral race, with more activity expected due to the upcoming statewide ballot.

In 2024, Waukesha County's median income was around $103,000, with a 3.3% unemployment rate by July 2026. The strong business environment supports local papers like the Freeman, though rising postal rates impact distribution costs. Conley Media, having sold its printing plant in 2010, faces increased outsourced printing costs. Traditional ad revenue has shifted to digital platforms, but the Freeman capitalizes on its local audience for unique sponsorships amidst industry closures and consolidation.

Waukesha County's demographics, such as a median age of 44 and high homeownership rates, align with typical newspaper subscribers, yet the aging subscriber base and slow growth cannot offset losses. Despite low trust in mass media, local news retains higher trust, though slightly declined.

Few Americans pay for local news, but digital subscription growth relies on unique content like prep sports and local government coverage. The county's high-school sports scene and community traditions provide news opportunities. AI-generated answers have reduced organic Google referrals, impacting local outlets, though AI can boost productivity in small newsrooms with necessary human oversight.

The Freeman maintains a strong digital presence with a shared website, newsletters, social media, and a news app. Its historical archive is a unique asset. With Meta reducing news distribution, direct traffic sources like newsletters and app notifications are vital.

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Porter’s Five Forces affecting the Newspaper Industry

Force

	Intensity	Assessment
Rivalry among existing competitors	Moderate	As the Journal Sentinel has retrenched, competition now comes from TV station websites (WTMJ, WISN, CBS 58), free weeklies, and local digital sites for stories and ad dollars.
Threat of new entrants	Moderate–High	Launching a newsletter, Facebook group, or nonprofit site is easy and inexpensive, but replicating extensive archives, courthouse sourcing, and legal-notice certification is challenging.
Threat of substitutes	High	Social media, municipal websites, Nextdoor, search, and school-district apps now fulfill functions like events, obituaries, classifieds, and meeting agendas, previously covered by newspapers.
Bargaining power of buyers	High (advertisers) / Moderate (readers)	Local advertisers can reach the same households through Google, Meta and programmatic channels. Loyal older print subscribers show low price sensitivity; younger readers show near-zero willingness to pay.
Bargaining power of suppliers	High	Newsprint, contract printing, postage and carrier labor costs are set by a shrinking supplier base; the paper no longer owns its press. Skilled local reporters are scarce and mobile.

The industry faces challenges, but Freeman’s niche in verified public records remains strong due to robust sourcing relationships, extensive archives, rigorous certification processes, and a foundation of trust. Partnerships with local authorities ensure reliable data, unlike user-generated online content. Their organized archives provide historical data and trust, contrasting with the transient nature of online information. Certification processes assure clients of record accuracy, distinguishing Freeman in an era of misinformation. Trust, built over years, offers reliability that digital platforms lack. Despite industry challenges, Freeman’s niche thrives on these irreplaceable factors, underscoring the value of traditional methods in a digital world..

Key Resources and Capabilities - VRIO Analysis

Resource / Capability	V	R	I	O	Competitive implication
167-year brand and community trust	Y	Y	Y	Y	Sustained advantage — cannot be bought or rushed
Archive (1859–present) and institutional memory	Y	Y	Y	P	Advantage underused; licensed to Newspapers.com rather than productized
Courthouse, government and prep-sports sourcing networks	Y	Y	P	Y	Temporary advantage; depends on retaining staff
Four-paper regional cluster	Y	P	P	Y	Temporary advantage in cost and ad reach
Print production and distribution	Y	N	N	Y	Parity; outsourced since 2010
Digital product (web, app, e-edition)	Y	N	N	P	Parity at best; a necessity, not a differentiator

Y = yes; N = no; P = partly.

The Freeman Flywheel

The Freeman's contemporary journalism strategy prioritizes depth over breadth, emphasizing comprehensive local reporting. By focusing on community topics such as municipal meetings and local sports, The Freeman establishes a detailed record of local events, thereby strengthening community ties and enhancing public knowledge. This thorough approach cultivates a loyal subscriber base keen on community specifics, reinforcing a strong connection to the publication. The engaged readership attracts local advertisers and sponsors, generating revenue that is reinvested to expand coverage, thereby creating a sustainable growth model. Historically, The Freeman encountered challenges during a price war from 1996 to 2001, underscoring the necessity of a sustainable business model. Today, adapting to digital formats is essential for future viability, leveraging strengths in local reporting to draw new readers. The Freeman's focus on local engagement ensures its continued relevance and influence within the media landscape.

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Seven Powers Analysis of the Freeman

Power	Present?	Evidence and assessment
Scale economies	Weak	Small absolute scale; partial scope economies from the four-paper cluster.
Network economies	Weak	Reader-contributed announcements and letters add value, but not a true network effect.
Counter-positioning	Moderate	Gannett’s centralized, cost-cutting model cannot profitably match county-level depth — a structural opening the Freeman occupies.
Switching costs	Moderate	Habit, e-edition familiarity and obituary/announcement reliance among older subscribers.
Branding	Strong	A 167-year identity tied to abolition, suffrage and open government; a trust premium most digital entrants lack.
Cornered resource	Moderate	The archive and legal-notice certification; sourcing relationships.
Process power	Weak–Moderate	Efficient small-newsroom workflows, but readily imitable.

The Freeman’s durable power is Branding reinforced by Counter-positioning against chain retrenchment — a narrow but real moat for a local monopoly on the public record.

Summary - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

Strengths	Weaknesses
Oldest brand in the county; civic legacy (abolition, suffrage, open records) · Affluent, educated market · Legal-notice status · Shared services across four papers · Award-winning newsroom (WNA)	Small scale and thin newsroom · Aging print subscribers · No owned press; exposed to print and postage costs · Heavy dependence on local retail and notice advertising · Unclear long-term ownership succession
Opportunities	Threats
Fill the vacuum left by Gannett retrenchment · Productize the 1859–present archive · Events, awards and sponsored content · Philanthropic or nonprofit local-news funding (e.g., WNA Foundation programs) · The 175th anniversary in 2034 as a brand and fundraising moment	Legislative moves to put public notices online · Platform and AI substitution for local information · Newsprint and postal price increases · Reporter recruitment and retention · Consolidation buyers (hedge-fund or chain) if the family chooses to exit

Synthesizing the Strategic Analysis Frameworks

The six outcomes outlined below are the results mandated by the collective frameworks. Each outcome specifies the supporting frameworks and includes a success indicator. The targets provided are for illustrative purposes.

Outcome	Frameworks in agreement	Indicator of success
O1. Secure the revenue floor	PESTL (Legal, Political); Five Forces (government as buyer); VRIO (certification at parity); SWOT threat	The Ch. 985 publication requirement survives each legislative session; readership of public notices is documented; notice revenue holds steady as a share of total revenue
O2. Own the audience relationship	PESTL (Technological); Five Forces (substitutes); Flywheel (reach link); VRIO (digital at parity)	Most digital visits come from channels the Freeman controls (newsletters, app, direct visits), not search or social
O3. Monetize the trust premium	PESTL (Social); VRIO (brand sustained); Seven Powers (Branding); SWOT strength	Paid digital households grow year over year; retention improves among subscribers moving from print to digital
O4. Lower the cost to serve	PESTL (Economic); Five Forces (supplier power); Flywheel (reinvestment)	Cost per delivered print copy held flat in real terms; each print day covers its own marginal cost
O5. Convert latent resources	VRIO (archive and sourcing not organized); Seven Powers (cornered resource, process power); PESTL (Technological, AI tools)	A revenue line from archive products; reporter retention; hours of reporting freed by AI
O6. Secure ownership continuity	SWOT (weakness); PESTL (Economic, consolidation); deep-dive finding of no founder since 2020	A written stewardship and succession plan, including a mission-protection option if the paper is sold

The strategic thesis - Suggestions for the Freeman

The Freeman should see itself as Waukesha County’s verified civic record since 1859, delivered on whatever medium the reader uses. The printed newspaper is one way of delivering that record; it is not the product itself. Each recommended change to the Strategy Diamond follows from this reframing.

Integration also brings to the surface tensions that no single framework shows. The recommended Strategy Diamond has to settle each of them.

Tension	Pull A	Pull B	Recommended resolution
Print versus digital	Print subscribers carry most of the revenue and loyalty	Rising costs and an aging base erode print	Keep print while each day covers its marginal cost; make digital the default for new households; set explicit triggers for reducing print frequency
Opinion identity versus common record	Conservative commentary matches the county’s majority	A county that is becoming more politically mixed needs a shared, trusted record	Label and separate opinion clearly; present the newsroom as nonpartisan; publish standards for sourcing and corrections
AI efficiency versus trust	AI can make a thin newsroom go further	An AI error hurts a trust-based brand more than it would a larger outlet	Use AI for routine production only, always with human editing; publish the AI policy
Harvest versus reinvest	The family may prefer to take cash out of a declining medium	The flywheel needs reinvestment in reporters	Tie a share of notice and archive revenue to newsroom investment; decide on ownership in Phase 3
Cluster efficiency versus a distinct brand	Shared gmtoday.com and back-office functions save money	A generic regional site dilutes the Freeman’s 167-year identity	Share the back end but keep Freeman branding in the reader’s view: its own newsletter, app identity and archive

Reassessing the Current Strategy Diamond

Hambrick and Fredrickson propose six tests of strategy quality. Applying them to the Diamond as described in the deep-dive report shows where it falls short.

Test	Verdict	Gap identified by the synthesis
Does it fit the environment?	Partly	It assumes search and social will bring readers, and it relies on the notice mandate without a plan to defend it.
Does it exploit key resources?	Partly	It relies on the brand but leaves the archive and the civic-record data unorganized.
Are the differentiators sustainable?	Partly	“Heritage” can be imitated by rhetoric; being the verified record is harder to copy, but it is not stated as the differentiator.
Are the elements internally consistent?	Yes	The current elements reinforce one another, but they do so around a defensive posture.
Are resources adequate?	Uncertain	Reinvestment capacity is unclear; there is no explicit philanthropic or partnership channel.
Is it implementable?	Yes, but	Staging has no phases, triggers or accountable milestones.

Strategic Changes for the Freeman

The document outlines strategic modifications for the Freeman, focusing on four key areas: Arenas, Vehicles, Differentiators, and Staging. In the Arenas category, the Freeman will maintain its geographic and core coverage while redirecting its customer focus towards school-and-sports households, institutional buyers, and event sponsors, reducing its generic news content. Regarding Vehicles, the Freeman plans to bolster resources through coalitions, philanthropic avenues, partnerships, and shared purchasing, along with governance planning. Under Differentiators, the Freeman will be established as a verified, nonpartisan civic record, emphasizing searchable civic data, a verification standard, nonpartisan reporting, and historical archives. Lastly, Staging involves a phased transition from print to digital, guided by evidence rather than fixed timelines.

Phase	Window	Priority moves	Trigger to advance
1. Secure the floor	0–12 months	Document public-notice readership; launch the civic-data hub pilot; publish verification and AI policies; model delivery mix ahead of the July 2027 postage change; launch the prep-sports and schools newsletter	Notice mandate intact after the 2027 session; newsletter list reaches its target size
2. Build the owned audience	1–3 years	Digital-first subscription bundle; archive products and licensing; events and sponsorships; philanthropic funding for public-affairs reporting; AI in routine production	Owned channels account for most digital visits; paid digital households growing
3. Decide	3–5 years	Decide print frequency day by day, based on each day’s contribution; decide on ownership and stewardship; plan the 175th-anniversary campaign	A print day’s marginal contribution turns negative; the family reaches a governance decision

The present strategy focuses on cost reduction by sharing editorial, circulation, and advertising functions, implementing premium pricing for a dedicated audience, using statutory notice revenue as a foundational element, and considering printing as a variable cost. The proposed strategy shifts towards generating recurring revenue per household across both print and digital platforms, emphasizing the lifetime value of households rather than merely the number of print subscribers. This involves assessing and pricing the relationship with each household as it transitions from print to digital, enhancing revenue from various sources such as readers, sponsorships, and archives, and utilizing cost to serve as a management metric. It is also crucial to maintain cluster savings while ensuring a distinctive brand experience.

Enduring Lessons for Founders

1. The resilience of the Freeman is anchored in its dedication to serving as a repository of essential county information, beyond just functioning as a newspaper. Founders should determine vital records necessary for their clientele.

2. Unlike many century-old companies in Wisconsin, the Freeman has sustained its viability through four ownership transitions over 47 years, thanks to its franchise, staff, and civic role, rather than familial ties.

3. Principled initiatives, such as the open-meetings campaign and Youmans v. Owens, which were initially costly, have become integral to the paper’s value proposition over time.

4. Legal actions, such as the antitrust case from 2000 to 2003, while establishing significant legal precedents, did not provide remedies. A more effective strategy involved restructuring the portfolio and costs to compete with better-capitalized competitors.

5. The decision to divest the printing plant and the original Beaver Dam paper allowed Conley to reallocate capital towards defensible positions, highlighting the importance of identifying core business areas.

Sources

Books, Journal Articles, and Theses

Barney, Jay B. “Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage.” Journal of Management 17, no. 1 (1991): 99–120.

Collins, Jim. Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great. New York: HarperBusiness, 2019.

Engbring, Robert W. “The Waukesha Freeman: A Study of Its Editorial Defense of Civil Rights from Its Founding March 29, 1859, to April 1863, Three Months after the Emancipation Proclamation.” Master’s thesis, Marquette University, 1970.

Hambrick, Donald C., and James W. Fredrickson. “Are You Sure You Have a Strategy?” Academy of Management Executive 15, no. 4 (2001): 48–59.

Helmer, Hamilton. 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy. Deep Strategy LLC, 2016.

Porter, Michael E. “The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy.” Harvard Business Review 86, no. 1 (2008): 78–93.

Newspapers, Magazines, and News Websites

BizTimes Milwaukee. “J.B. Kenehan Acquired by Iowa Media Group.” October 7, 2014. https://biztimes.com/j-b-kenehan-acquired-by-iowa-media-group/.

———. “Mergers and Acquisitions.” September 3, 2010. https://biztimes.com/mergers-and-acquisitions-111/.

Editor & Publisher. “Former Newspaperman James Conley Dies at 76.” March 30, 2020. https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/former-newspaperman-james-conley-dies-at-76,1267.

Freeman (Waukesha, WI). “Bennett Named Publisher of MKE Lifestyle.” April 22, 2022. https://www.gmtoday.com/the_freeman/business/bennett-named-publisher-of-mke-lifestyle/article_2a87a9c2-c236-11ec-9faa-6beb28404a2b.html.

———. “The Freeman’s 2025 Year in Review.” January 2, 2026. https://www.gmtoday.com/the_freeman/news/waukesha-county-year-in-review-2025/article_b9564201-9833-56d7-8938-a349d458461e.html.

———. “The History of The Freeman Newspaper: A Timeline.” April 1, 2024. https://www.gmtoday.com/the_freeman/news/the-history-of-the-freeman-newspaper-a-timeline/article_ea665f00-edf8-11ee-87ce-5b6295d958f1.html.

———. “Trump Won Every Waukesha County Municipality Except for Elm Grove.” November 2024. https://www.gmtoday.com/the_freeman/news/trump-won-every-waukesha-county-municipality-except-for-elm-grove/article_47ef82fb-df4a-5e20-a5d2-81bbb92f00c0.html.

Journal Times (Racine, WI). “Lee Buys Beaver Dam Paper.” March 15, 2002. https://journaltimes.com/news/local/lee-buys-beaver-dam-paper/article_89e58f1c-c0a9-5826-9250-fb7e13dc932f.html.

MediaPost. “Postal Costs Balloon: Publishers Facing 6.8% Rate Hike in July.” April 13, 2026. https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/414243/postal-costs-balloon-publishers-are-facing-a-68.html.

Poynter. “An Alarming Number of Independent Publishers and Small Chains Closed Papers Last Year, New Medill Study Finds.” October 2025. https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2025/medill-report-local-news-closures-independent-papers-news-deserts/.

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What Works. “Americans Still Have Faith in Local News — but Few Are Willing to Pay for It.” June 10, 2025. https://whatworks.news/2025/06/10/americans-still-have-faith-in-local-news-but-few-are-willing-to-pay-for-it/.

Wisconsin Lawyer. “Supreme Court Digest: Conley Publishing Group Ltd. v. Journal Communications Inc.” 76, no. 9 (2003). https://www.wisbar.org/NewsPublications/WisconsinLawyer/pages/article.aspx?Volume=76&Issue=9&ArticleID=588.

Wisconsin Watch. “Top Republican Noncommittal on Bipartisan Fix to Wisconsin Public Records Access Problem.” May 2025. https://wisconsinwatch.org/2025/05/wisconsin-public-records-access-republican-vos-supreme-court-bipartisan-bill/.

WISN 12 News. “Trump Wins Waukesha County by Smaller Margin than 2020, 2016.” November 2024. https://www.wisn.com/article/trump-wins-waukesha-county-by-smaller-margin-than-2020-2016/62831212.

Reports, Surveys, and Data Sources

Census Reporter. “Waukesha County, WI.” American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates. Accessed September 26, 2026. https://censusreporter.org/profiles/05000US55133-waukesha-county-wi/.

Gallup. “Trust in Media at New Low of 28% in U.S.” October 2025. https://news.gallup.com/poll/695762/trust-media-new-low.aspx.

Northwestern University Medill Local News Initiative. The State of Local News 2025. Evanston, IL: Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, 2025. https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/state-of-local-news/2025/report/.

Pew Research Center. “How Americans’ Trust in Information from News Organizations and Social Media Sites Has Changed over Time.” October 29, 2025. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/29/how-americans-trust-in-information-from-news-organizations-and-social-media-sites-has-changed-over-time/.

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2026. Oxford: Reuters Institute, January 2026.

Trading Economics. “Unemployment Rate in Waukesha County, WI.” Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Accessed September 28, 2026. https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate-in-waukesha-county-wi-percent-m-nsa-fed-data.html.

U.S. Data Explorer. “Waukesha County, WI Demographics.” April 1, 2026. https://usdataexplorer.com/county/waukesha-county-wi/.

Organizational, Company, and Reference Web Sources

Conley Media. Company profile. LinkedIn. Accessed September 26, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/company/conley-media.

———. “Contact Us – Waukesha Freeman.” gmtoday.com. Accessed September 26, 2026. https://www.gmtoday.com/customer_service/freeman/.

———. gmtoday.com. Home page, Freeman section front, and Waukesha County business section. Accessed September 26–28, 2026. https://www.gmtoday.com/.

Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. “Waukesha Freeman.” Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 2017. https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/waukesha-freeman/.

Hartland Chamber of Commerce. “Freeman Newspaper – A Division of Conley Media.” Member directory, January 6, 2022. https://business.hartland-wi.org/list/member/freeman-newspaper-a-division-of-conley-media-1144.

Historical Marker Database. “The Waukesha Freeman.” Marker 34-19, erected 2010 by the Waukesha County Historical Society. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=42765.

J.B. Kenehan LLC. “J.B. Kenehan Buys Conley Printing.” Press release, September 2, 2010. https://promontorypointcapital.com/wp-content/uploads/100902-JBK-ConleyPressRelease.pdf.

LeadIQ. “Waukesha Freeman Newspaper Company Overview.” Accessed September 26, 2026. https://leadiq.com/c/waukesha-freeman-newspaper/5a1d8938240000240062b4a2.

National Newspaper Association. “Newsprint Not Affected by Increase in US Tariff on Canadian Imports.” Reprinted by the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, July 11, 2025. https://wnanews.com/2025/07/11/nna-newsprint-not-affected-by-increase-in-us-tariff-on-canadian-imports/.

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Waukesha Freeman Newspaper. Company page. LinkedIn. Accessed September 26, 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/company/waukeshafreeman.

Wikipedia. “Adams MultiMedia.” Accessed September 26, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_MultiMedia.

———. “Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.” Accessed September 26, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Journal_Sentinel.

———. “Rockford Register Star.” Accessed September 26, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockford_Register_Star.

———. “The Sheboygan Press.” Accessed September 26, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sheboygan_Press.

———. “2026 Waukesha Mayoral Election.” Accessed September 28, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Waukesha_mayoral_election.

———. “Waukesha County, Wisconsin.” Accessed September 28, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waukesha_County,_Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Newspaper Association. “Governor Evers Signs WNA-Backed Public Notice Font Bill.” December 15, 2025. https://wnanews.com/2025/12/15/governor-evers-signs-wna-backed-public-notice-font-bill/.

———. “James Conley, Jr., Founder of Conley Publishing Group, Dies at 76.” March 25, 2020. https://wnanews.com/2020/03/25/james-conley-jr-obituary/.

———. “Waukesha Freeman Celebrates 160 Years.” April 1, 2019. https://wnanews.com/2019/04/01/waukesha-freeman-160-years/.

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Government, Legal, and Legislative Sources

Conley Publishing Group Ltd. v. Journal Communications, Inc., 2003 WI 119, 265 Wis. 2d 128, 665 N.W.2d 879. https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=16570.

Friends of Frame Park, U.A. v. City of Waukesha, 2022 WI 57, 403 Wis. 2d 1.

Office of the United States Trade Representative. “Ambassador Greer Issues Statement on the USMCA Joint Review.” Press release, July 2026. https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/july/ambassador-greer-issues-statement-usmca-joint-review.

State ex rel. Journal Co. v. County Court (Wis. 1969). https://law.justia.com/cases/wisconsin/supreme-court/1969/291-6.html.

State ex rel. Youmans v. Owens, 28 Wis. 2d 672, 137 N.W.2d 470 (1965), modified on reh’g, 139 N.W.2d 241 (1966). https://law.justia.com/cases/wisconsin/supreme-court/1965/28-wis-2d-672-6.html.

Wisconsin Attorney General. Opinion OAG 2-03. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/oag/recent/oag2_03.

Wisconsin Department of Administration. “Certification of Legal Notice Rates for January–December 2026: Waukesha Freeman.” https://doa.wi.gov/Documents/DEO/WaukeshaFreeman.pdf.

Wisconsin State Legislature. “2025 Assembly Bill 152.” Bill history and Legislative Reference Bureau analysis. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/AB152.

———. “2025 Senate Bill 194.” Bill history. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/proposals/sb194.

———. Wisconsin Statutes, ch. 133 (Trade Regulation), § 133.03 and annotations. https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/133.

———. Wisconsin Statutes, ch. 985 (legal and public notices). https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/985..

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