The Western Star has a new owner and award-winning news team that will bring strong news coverage back to the west Jefferson County communities it serves.
Bibb Community Media, Inc. has acquired the Western Star newspaper and has partnered with Kingfisher Media to revamp the weekly print newspaper into a must-read source for news in Bessemer, Hueytown, Hoover, Pleasant Grove, McCalla and more.
Bibb Community Media is an internet publishing company based in Centreville that specializes in digital media, communication and advertising and also owns the Centreville Press and Marion Times Standard. Bibb Community Media has produced The Bibb Voice, a digital community news platform that offers relevant news about Bibb County and the Greater Birmingham metro area, since 2016.
Bibb Community Media entered into a joint operating agreement with Kingfisher Media (KFM) in January 2022 to run the news operations for the Marion Times Standard in Perry County. KFM will also run operations for the Western Star as of March 2022. KFM also owns and operates the Selma Sun weekly newspaper in Dallas County.
KFM is bringing to the Western Star the company’s arsenal of award-winning journalists with decades of experience to produce informative, timely and engaging community news. While improving the weekly print edition, KFM is also creating a website for the Western Star that will go live in mid 2022 to bring Western Jefferson County news to readers online.
Bibb Community President David Daniel said the two local publishing companies are working together to keep these key, historically significant print publications relevant while also bringing them into the 21st century.
“The Western Star, Centreville Press and Marion Times Standard are publishing bedrocks of Central Alabama,” Daniel said. “The current newspaper staffs worked hard to keep these important and historical print media publications in circulation when so many newspapers have closed their doors in the face of digital competition from the internet and social media. It’s my hope that with our new combined resources, we can help these publications reach new and larger audiences and continue serving this area for generations to come. I’m honored to lead this new effort, and I am excited to see what the future holds.”
Daniel there will be a continued focus on positive community news and events and more reporting on economic progress in all of the areas and municipalities served by the publications.
In the near future, plans include offering companion digital publications. Future subscriber packages may offer access in a variety of formats including print, digital, or all access, along with other subscriber benefits that will be announced soon.
KFM owner Cindy Fisher said her four-year-old company is excited to expand into another central Alabama community.
“I believe that a strong weekly newspaper is essential to a community,” Fisher said. “We will be working with Bibb Community Media to continue to provide news and information in ways that are familiar to our readers and advertisers as we introduce new features and products in both markets.”
Bibb Community Media’s Daniel will serve as publisher and Fisher will serve as editor of the Western Star. Longtime Star staff will continue to provide content and service to advertisers.
Kingfisher Media has won numerous statewide awards for news coverage and innovative videos that share local stories with the community in new ways.
