The Free Press Newspapers provide Total Market Coverage in Grundy, Kankakee, and southern Will counties with The Prairie Shopper, Braidwood Journal, Coal City Courant and The Free Press Advocate.
The following is a circulation breakdown for the Prairie Shopper and Subscription newspapers.
The Prairie Shopper
Braidwood (60408).....................2,361
Braceville (60407).....................705
Coal City(60416)........................4,133
Elwood (60421)..........................1,512
Essex (60935)...............................415
Gardner (60424)........................1,049
Mazon (60444).............................739
Morrris rural routes...................1,180
Reddick (60961)..........................354
South Wilmington (60474)...........351
Wilmington (60481)..................5,127
TOTAL .................................17,926
Subscriber newspapers
by direct mail and newsstands on Wednesdays
The Free Press Advocate(60481).....2,275
The Braidwood Journal (60408)........1,300
Coal City Courant (60416)................2,125
TOTAL..............................................5,700
Total combined...............................23,626
The Advocate has been reporting the Wilmingnton news since 1870. The Coal City Courant has been covering the Coal City communities since 1901, while the Braidwood Journal has been the community paper in Braidwood since 1958.
The Free Press Newspapers' combined circulation surpassed 23,000 issues, reaching more than 42,500 readers each week.
The Free Press Advocate reports Wilmington and Elwood issues, news, and views. Events and items of interest concerning Braidwood, Custer Park, Godley, and Essex appear in The Braidwood Journal. In Coal City, hometown happenings and current events are discussed in The Coal City Courant.
Each subscriber publication shares a common center section, Community Corner, containing information of general interest in all communities in our circulation area. This feature allows an organization to publicize an event throughout the region for greater success.
