{{Short description|Newspaper in Carbondale, Illinois}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = The Southern Illinoisan | logo = File:The Southern Illinoisan 2016.svg | caption = A sample front page of<br>''The Southern Illinoisan'' | type = Daily newspaper | format = Broadsheet | owners = Paxton Media Group | chief_editor = | founded = | headquarters = 600 Halfway Road, Suite 105, Marion, IL | circulation = 7,220 Daily | circulation_date = 2022 | circulation_ref = <ref name="Lee Enterprises' 10-K annual filing">{{cite web|url=https://investors.lee.net/static-files/c82f89e9-ce07-41a1-b8dd-3898ff82e831 |title=Form 10-K|author=Lee Enterprises |website=investors.lee.net |access-date=April 13, 2023}}</ref> | position = | website = {{URL|thesouthern.com}} }} thumb|Logo of The Southern Illinoisan (August 13, 2014)
'''''The Southern Illinoisan''''' is a daily newspaper and multimedia news platform based in Marion, Illinois, known locally as "The Southern." It is one of the major regional newspapers and media services for southern Illinois. The Southern published a physical paper on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and a digital copy seven days a week.
Upon Paxton Media Group’s acquisition of The Southern Illinoisan, Marlyn Halstead, a veteran journalist with extensive experience in Southern Illinois newsrooms, became the editor.
==History== ''The Southern Illinoisan'' was created in 1947 when Lindsay-Schaub Newspapers of Decatur, Illinois, purchased three area newspapers—the ''Daily Free Press'' of Carbondale, the ''Murphysboro Daily Independent'' and the ''Herrin Daily Journal''—and merged them into a single publication.<ref name=review>{{cite news |title=Lee, Lindsay-Schaub 'compatible' |work=Decatur Daily Review |date=January 26, 1979 |pages=15 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/80306048/}}</ref><ref name=fishwrap>{{cite web |last=Hammond|first=Trevor|title=The Southern Illinoisan |work=Fishwrap |date=January 23, 2015 |url=https://blog.newspapers.com/the-southern-illinoisan/ | access-date=February 24, 2017}}</ref> Lee Enterprises purchased the ''Southern Illinoisan'' and other Lindsay-Schaub papers in 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://thesouthern.com/site/about.html |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=Southern Illinoisan |language=en}}</ref>
In 2018, news room staff voted to unionize following an unannounced mass layoff earlier in the year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Carl |date=2018-05-16 |title=Staff at The Southern Illinoisan votes to join the United Media Guild |url=https://labortribune.com/mass-layoff-at-southern-illinoisan-prompts-move-to-unionize/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=The Labor Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>
Starting June 20, 2023, the print edition of the newspaper was reduced to three days a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The newspaper also transitioned from being delivered by a traditional newspaper delivery carrier to mail delivery by the U.S. Postal Service.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brandhorst |first=Jackson |date=2023-05-20 |title=Your expanded Southern Illinoisan coming soon |url=https://thesouthern.com/news/local/your-expanded-southern-illinoisan-coming-soon/article_706659f8-f41b-11ed-84c3-8b640fb69944.html |access-date=2023-07-19 |website=Southern Illinoisan |language=en}}</ref>
In October 2023, Lee Enterprises sold the newspaper to Paxton Media Group.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-10-27 |title=Paxton Media Group Acquires The Southern Illinoisan Newspaper |url=https://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/paxton-media-group-acquires-the-southern-illinoisan-newspaper/article_7bbec3f4-74df-11ee-a0ec-cbcd499e0679.html |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=WPSD Local 6 |language=en}}</ref> Lee Enterprises' sale of ''The Southern Illinoisan'' was delayed after pushback from the newspapers union guild. The guild contested the sale after learning that the new owners, Paxton Media Group, would not be retaining any of the guild employees once the sale was final.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-17 |title=Workers denounce plans to sell The Southern Illinoisan {{!}} The NewsGuild - TNG-CWA |url=https://newsguild.org/workers-denounce-plans-to-sell-the-southern-illinoisan/ |access-date=2023-12-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> Paxton Media Group were officially handed the reins of the newspaper on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 and all news staff employees who were formerly working at the newspaper under Lee Enterprises were subsequently let go under Paxton rule.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wicentowski |first=Danny |date=December 12, 2023 |title=The Southern Illinoisan was sold. Then the new owner eliminated its entire news staff |url=https://www.stlpr.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2023-12-12/the-southern-illinoisan-was-sold-then-the-new-owner-eliminated-its-entire-news-staff |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=STLPR |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Lee Enterprises}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Southern Illinoisan}} Category:Newspapers published in Illinois Category:Carbondale, Illinois Category:Companies based in Jackson County, Illinois Category:Lee Enterprises publications