Paxton Media Group acquires the Breese Journal

Meet your Breese Journal team — (from left) Kelly Ross, Jeremy Chawgo, Cyndi Riley and Matt Wilson. AI generated photo    Paxton Media Group has acquired the Breese Journal from Printing.com, marking a new chapter for the longtime Clinton County newspaper.
    The acquisition, effective Nov. 1, brings the newspaper under the ownership of a family-owned media company.
    For more than a century, Breese Journal and Publishing Company operated as a family-owned business, most recently led by brothers Steve and Dave Mahlandt and Steve’s son, Josh Mahlandt.
    In July 2025, the Mahlandt family sold their family newspaper and the publishing company to Marketing.com, which was later sold to Printing.com. The newspaper portion was then sold to Paxton Media Group.
    Paxton Media Group is a family-owned company founded in 1896, and led by President and CEO Jamie Paxton. The company publishes more than 100 community newspapers throughout the Midwest and southeast, including the Union Banner in Carlyle, The Sentinel in Centralia, and The Greenville Advocate. 
    Mike Weafer, group president for Paxton Media Group, said that he is very happy to have the Breese Journal on board.
    "We believe in local community newspapers, and recognize the history and the excellence here at the Breese Journal," said Weafer.
    Angela Mayes, group publisher with Paxton Media Company, said that she was excited to welcome the Breese Journal into their regional family of Illinois newspapers. 
    "We appreciate the Mahlandt family's dedication and commitment to the Breese Journal, and we're honored to continue the legacy they've built," she said.
    What does this mean for our readers of the Breese Journal?
    Well, for starters, readers may notice a few changes in the newspaper's appearance and operations. 
    The newspaper will still have the same name — Breese Journal — along with the same dedicated staff — Kelly Ross, Jeremy Chawgo, Cyndi Riley and Matt Wilson — who brought the news to your homes weekly.
    However, the newspaper will have a slightly different look, offering a two-section format — Section A and Section B.
    Section A will include local news, features and community events in the area, while Section B will be dedicated to local sports coverage and classified ads.
    Another change involves the newspaper's printing location. The Breese Journal will now be printed in Paducah, Kentucky, rather than its previous printing location in Breese. The change in the location means there may have been a slight delay of the newspaper. The Breese Journal is scheduled to hit stands on Thursdays.
    The newspaper's home office will also now be located in Centralia (232 E. Broadway St.), instead of Old Route 50 in Breese.
    These changes may take some getting used to — and we are right there with you — but, we want to make sure our mission stays the same and that is that we will still be focused on providing quality journalism for our local communities. 
    We ask for your patience and understanding as the newspaper transitions to its new ownership and operations and appreciate the continued support of our readers, advertisers and our communities that we serve.