Shaw Media
Illinois local newspaper and media group.
Tracing its history to 1851, Shaw Media operates local newspapers, digital publications and radio stations in Illinois and Iowa. Its family ownership and community focus connect the group's different outlets.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026
Timeline for Shaw Media
Named participant in Google's paid news pilot
Media's AI Pivot: Google pays 400-plus titles in AI pilotBackground
Shaw Media is a local publishing and broadcasting group serving communities in Illinois and Iowa. Its business spans newspapers, digital publications and radio stations. The company traces its history to 1851 and operates as Shaw Family Holdings, owned by the Mabel S. Shaw Family Trust. It also provides advertising services for businesses and organisations in the communities its outlets cover. [Shaw Media's company profile](https://shawmedia.com/about-us/).
Shaw Local brings the group's local journalism together online while allowing readers to select their own community. Its coverage includes breaking news, sport and local events, alongside practical information such as obituaries. This gives the group a shared digital publishing service while keeping individual places at the centre of how readers find coverage. Print, online news and broadcasting remain different routes through which the company serves those local audiences. [Shaw's account of Shaw Local](https://shawmedia.com/2025/08/welcome-to-the-new-shawlocal-com/).
What is Shaw Media's connection to Google's AI pilot?
Who owns Shaw Media?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.