Vol. 1 - #1
Website Updated Wednesdays
August 5, 2026
Welcome to the home of the Jasper County News
A few words from the owner
"...it's a reflection of a community that deserves to be heard, with its stories told by people who care," said Dennis Phillips, owner of Phillips Publishing LLC. "At Phillips Publishing, we believe local journalism has the power to bring people together. This newspaper will shine a spotlight on Jasper County's voices, challenges, and triumphs. Newspapers aren't dead—they're evolving, and we're excited to bring readers along for that journey."
That belief is what led to the creation of the Jasper County News.
While this website and our free daily newsletter may seem new, the work has already begun. Every weekday, readers can receive local news delivered directly to their inboxes. The next phase is expanding coverage right here online with articles, features, community updates, and the stories that matter most to Jasper County.
"For any community newspaper to succeed today, it has to meet readers where they are," said Phillips. "That means delivering news digitally while building something lasting for the future."
Phillips Publishing LLC was founded in 2020 by Dennis Phillips, who brought more than 25 years of experience in community journalism. Throughout his career, Phillips has worked with newspaper groups including Moser Community Media, Granite Publishing, and American Consolidated Media, serving communities across Texas.
In 2020, Phillips Publishing acquired the Robertson County News and Franklin Advocate. Since then, the company has focused on preserving and strengthening local journalism in communities that need it most.
That mission eventually led Phillips to Jasper County.
One hundred and forty-six years ago, the Jasper Newsboy was founded and remains one of the oldest newspapers in Texas. Phillips remembers its glory days well.
Why wait until August 5? FOOTBALL SEASON!
"I remember watching publisher Willis Webb carry home armloads of Texas Press Association awards," said Phillips. "The Jasper Newsboy was a source of tremendous pride for the community."
For more than a year, Phillips attempted to purchase the Newsboy from Hearst Media.
"I ran the numbers more times than I can count," said Phillips. "In today's community newspaper market, a fair offer for the Newsboy would probably be around $5,000. Unfortunately, that's simply not enough money to motivate a corporation the size of Hearst to sell."
Rather than focus on what could not be done, Phillips decided to focus on what could.
A significant part of his career has involved reviving struggling newspapers. He has worked with publications including the Ballinger Ledger, Winter Enterprise, Clifton Record, and Meridian Tribune.
"I've always believed local newspapers are worth saving," said Phillips. "When a community loses its newspaper, it loses part of its identity."
That same philosophy guided his purchase of the Silsbee Bee in neighboring Hardin County last year. The newspaper was facing closure when Phillips stepped in to save it. Today, the Bee is once again profitable and serving its community.
"The success of the Silsbee Bee proved something important," said Phillips. "Community newspapers can still work when they're focused on local people, local issues, and local accountability."
That success naturally turned his attention toward Jasper.
"As far as I'm concerned, Jasper deserves the same opportunity," said Phillips. "Every community deserves a newspaper that cares about its future, and that's exactly what we're building here."
And that's why the Jasper County News exists today.
Are you selling ads?
It's a balance of community service, local news, and advertising. A successful community newspaper needs all three to thrive, so the answer is yes—there will be advertising opportunities in the Jasper County News.
The Jasper County News is being designed from the ground up to follow a proven model that benefits both readers and local businesses. Our goal is to create maximum exposure for businesses that want to reach new customers, stay connected with loyal customers, and ultimately grow their revenue.
We'll be sharing more details about our advertising programs and marketing strategy in the coming weeks, but what can be done right now?
For starters, we have our growing email newsletter, with new subscribers joining every day. We have launched our new Facebook page, and we use both of these platforms in tandem with this website to reach the community across multiple channels.
Now, you may be thinking, "It's all so new. How many people will actually see my ad?"
The answer is: more than you might think.
Traditional advertising often focuses heavily on demographics such as age, gender, income, and household characteristics. While those factors matter, community newspaper advertising is often much simpler.
Younger audiences tend to consume information digitally, while many residents over 50 still rely on newspapers and newspaper websites for trusted local information.
Our vision is to bring all of those audiences together through one unified local media platform. By combining our website, social media, email newsletter, and future print products, we'll be able to offer businesses comprehensive community-wide exposure in one convenient package.
Those advertising packages are coming soon, and we're excited to help local businesses connect with the people who matter most—their neighbors and customers right here in Jasper County.
Come grow with us.
Did you notice, we have a new address. Phillips Publishing has signed a contract for a building downtown. We are not there yet, but very soon we will be. M-F 9am-5pn.
We will get more information as it comes, like a phone number, but you can email Dylan Busby, the new publisher at: