The Jackson Parish Journal (JPJ) has been in publication since April 2020, focused entirely on bringing the news, sports, and information pertaining to Jackson Parish to its viewers. In the Wednesday, February 4, 2026 edition, the JPJ reached a major journalistic milestone by publishing its 10,000th article.
“It was a little overwhelming when I noticed that the article count had reached that point,” said publisher Ben Ledbetter. “It seems like only yesterday that I sat down to pen the first article for publication, but in reality, that was nearly six years ago. I guess, as the old saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun.”
Starting with the humble beginnings of being a once-weekly publication that contained seven articles and had 16 viewers in the first edition, the Jackson Parish Journal has now grown to become the first newspaper in Jackson Parish history to publish twice a week and, at last count, was averaging over 80,000 viewers per month. This includes viewers from nearly every parish in Louisiana, 38 states, and 63 foreign countries.
“It is the beauty of digital media publishing,” said Ledbetter. “Unlike a paper printed newspaper that gets read by an individual and then thrown away, being published on social media outlets like Facebook, Google, Newsbreak, the Jackson Parish Journal website, and direct email allows for the publication to be viewed and shared with others all over the world.”
Ledbetter expresses appreciation to Bill Vance, owner and founder of Journal Services Inc., for providing the opportunity to become a member of the Journal Services Inc group and to long-time friend and mentor Doug Ireland, who is a Jackson Parish native and a 1978 Jonesboro-Hodge High School graduate, for making contact and getting a meeting arranged.
“This all started back in February of 2020 when Doug called me and suggested I talk to Bill, who was offering franchises for a digital media newspaper in each parish,” reflected Ledbetter. “Doug knew that when the Jackson Independent went down at the end of 2019, it left a major void in the parish, and I, as a former sports editor and news writer for the publication, felt the loss of not being able to present residents with the information that I took pride in providing.”
Ledbetter also gives much thanks to the advertisers of the Jackson Parish Journal, who, without their support, the publication would not be possible.
“I can’t thank enough the businesses and organizations who have provided support through advertising in the Jackson Parish Journal, many of whom have been participants since the beginning,” said Ledbetter. “The JPJ would not be where it is today without their financial backing, which not only keeps the publication in business but also allows viewers to read the newspaper for free.
To join the Jackson Parish Journal family and enjoy the ease of viewing by having the publication sent directly to your email address, simply click on the JOIN icon located at the top of the JPJ and provide your name and email address.
The Jackson Parish Journal! Dedicated solely to providing news, sports, and information about Jackson Parish