Journal Gazette & Times-Courier Information

Together, The Journal Gazette & Times-Courier and JG-TC.com reach 87% of local adults within a 7-day period. We offer custom packages for any business, from print advertising to the very latest in digital technology. The JG-TC focuses on coverage of the cities of Mattoon and Charleston, which are located 8 miles apart in Coles County in East Central Illinois. We circulate in seven counties and have a daily circulation of over 12,000. What sets us apart We are unique for having a downstate Illinois zoned newsroom operation for almost 20 years and for providing hometown coverage for 15 communities in east-central Illinois. Our history Charleston's first newspaper, The Courier, began publishing in 1840. A former Courier employee, Betty Boyer, began the Daily Times in 1966. The two papers merged, under her leadership, in 1968 to become the Times-Courier. The Weekly Independent Gazette was started in Mattoon in 1856, while the Mattoon Journal started in 1865. The two papers merged in 1905. Both the Journal Gazette and the Times-Courier were purchased by Howard Publications in 1971. In April 2002, Lee Enterprises bought all 16 Howard newspapers. Lee now has a daily circulation of more than 1.1 million in 45 newspapers in 18 states. The Journal Gazette and Times-Courier combined to publish under one name, the JG-TC, in September 2011.