The Journal, an Irish online news publication, is requesting financial support from its readership, citing insufficient advertising revenue to sustain its operations. The appeal, published on the website, emphasizes the value of independent, unbiased journalism and asks readers to contribute to ensure its continuation.
Founded in 2010, The Journal has grown to develop into a leading online news source in Ireland, alongside its sports publication, The 42. According to the Reuters Digital News Institute, The Journal has consistently ranked among the top two most-read online news sources in the Irish market since 2017. The organization similarly operates The Journal Investigates and The Journal FactCheck, the latter of which became a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) Code of Principles in 2017.
The Journal’s FactCheck unit was initially established in 2016 to address misinformation surrounding the General Election that year, and subsequently expanded its scope to encompass all areas of public discourse. In early 2020, it launched a dedicated Covid-19 Debunking Project and contributed to the global CoronaVirusFacts Alliance.
A recent analysis by the Kansas-based publication, The Journal, highlighted the challenges of measuring impact in digital local news. The analysis noted that the average reader spends only seconds on an article, and a significant portion of internet traffic originates from bots. The Journal estimates the cost of producing each story ranges from $2,000 to $10,000, encompassing reporting, editing, and distribution. The publication prioritizes stories that achieve both high page views and sustained reader engagement, viewing deep engagement as a key indicator of impact.
In 2025, a story featuring an interview with Joe Ceballos, the mayor of Coldwater, Kansas, who faced voter fraud charges, proved particularly “sticky,” attracting both high traffic and extended reader engagement. Ceballos claimed he mistakenly believed he could vote as a legal permanent resident.
The Journal’s website is preparing for a redesign, with a subscription model offering unlimited digital access for $2.00 per week for the first six months.
Journalism, as a craft, is described as surviving and thriving in the United States due to the First Amendment, and the ongoing “creative destruction of capitalism.” The late Michael Kelly, a journalist who worked for publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post, maintained that journalism is a craft, not a profession, and therefore open to anyone.