No Joke: The Onion Sheds a Layer

“America’s Finest News Source,” is making a series of deals with newspaper publishers to publish in several cities. Satirical paper The Onion has most recently cut deals with Capital Newspapers of Madison, Wisconsin—publisher of the Wisconsin State Journal and The Capital Times—and with The Statesman Co. in Texas—publisher of the Austin American-Statesman.

The old school newspaper companies will run the business side of The Onion’s print edition in those communities. The Wisconsin deal was particular relevance since The Onion, now based in Chicago, was founded in Madison.

The deals follow a similar arrangement with the Tribune Co., publisher of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. The strategic shift allows The Onion to focus its efforts on creating content and as it expands online and, in coming months, on television. The company publishes weeklies in a total of eight cities, operates the Onion News Network, which does video and audio reports.

As the State Journal reports of The Onion's shift and its ties to Madison:

The Madison partnership is particularly important, said Steve Hannah, CEO of The Onion. "Maintaining our print roots in Madison — as we move farther down the digital trail and straight into TV this coming January—is mandatory," Hannah told the State Journal. "Our Madison audience would revolt if the paper disappeared and The Onion was only available online. Contrary to everything you read these days, if the content is right, there is a very dedicated, smart young audience for the right print product. We don't just have readers—and this is doubly true in Madison—we have very cool, totally unapologetic fans."

No doubt, that’s true, as The Onion has proven both online and in print. Austin American-Statesman publisher Michael Vivio tells the Austin Business Journal that The Onion version published in his city has grown revenue in each of the past three years, “and that is an accomplishment given this economy.”

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