omaha.com

What they are

Omaha World-Herald is a daily newspaper serving the Omaha, Nebraska metropolitan area, and Omaha.com is its digital platform (website) offering news, features and local information. (Wikipedia)

In other words: if you see something on Omaha.com, it’s tied to the newspaper’s journalistic operation (though digital can differ from the print side).

Historical background

  • The World-Herald itself was founded in 1885. (Wikipedia)

  • For many years it was locally owned, including being employee-owned from 1979 to 2011. (Wikipedia)

  • In 2011 it was bought by Berkshire Hathaway (led by Warren Buffett) for about $200 million. (Wikipedia)

  • Later in January 2020, the newspaper chain Lee Enterprises acquired it from Berkshire Hathaway. (Wikipedia)

  • As for Omaha.com: in its news about recruiting online staff, the paper explained that “we’ve redesigned Omaha.com to make the site more local, timely, useful and fun… we’re enhancing our tablet apps, focusing more on our fast-growing mobile site.” (newsroom.unl.edu)

What Omaha.com does today

  • It is the main digital platform for the newspaper’s content in the Omaha region, offering news, local information, opinion, features, etc.

  • According to the Wikipedia entry: “The Omaha World-Herald operates the website Omaha.com, the Omaha area's most popular website by all measures of traffic.” (Wikipedia)

  • For example, as of April 2021, the site had monthly unique visits of about 2.51 million. (Wikipedia)

  • It shows that the newspaper recognises digital as a growth area (tablet apps, mobile site, social media). (newsroom.unl.edu)

Why it matters (and what to watch)

Significance

  • For anyone interested in the Omaha region (Nebraska/Iowa border area) it is one of the key news sources — local politics, culture, business.

  • Its website (Omaha.com) lets the paper reach beyond print-circulation limitations (print cost, geography).

  • The fact it is tied to a legacy newspaper gives it a factor of trust and institutional memory.

Things to keep in mind

  • Like many newspapers, digital vs print may have different business pressures (advertising, subscriptions). That can affect what is covered, how fast, and how much is behind paywalls.

  • Local newsrooms across the US have faced staffing, revenue challenges. The note in 2010 about online staff doubling suggests change/transition. (newsroom.unl.edu)

  • Ownership changes matter: although the World-Herald has strong local roots, being part of a larger chain can drive different priorities.

  • If you rely on Omaha.com content, check whether articles are gate-kept (subscription) or freely accessible, and verify date/author (especially for older stories).

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

  • Deep regional focus: Being a metro newspaper, the World-Herald + Omaha.com have embedded local coverage.

  • Multi-platform approach: print + digital, mobile + tablet.

  • Readership: as noted, high traffic for its region.

Weaknesses / Challenges

  • As with many local news outlets: funding/monetisation may be under strain — this can impact depth, frequency, resources.

  • Potential for bias or gaps in coverage: every outlet has limitations.

  • Digital transition: the fact that the site had to double staff and redesign suggests the process isn’t trivial.

Key Takeaways

  • Omaha.com is the digital face of the Omaha World-Herald newspaper, serving the Omaha metro area with news and media content.

  • The underlying newspaper has a long history (since 1885), local roots, and has gone through ownership changes (employee-owned → Berkshire Hathaway → Lee Enterprises).

  • The website is a major traffic source in the region (2.5 m+ unique hits/month as of 2021).

  • For users: It offers local value, but like many news outlets it must balance digital economics, staffing and coverage.

  • For anyone citing or using it: check article date, author, whether paywalled, and be aware of the local angle.

FAQ

Q: Is Omaha.com a free website or subscription-based?
A: It offers both free and subscription content, as is common with modern newspaper websites. Some articles may be behind a pay-wall or require membership. (You would need to check the site directly for current paywall status.)

Q: Who owns Omaha.com / the World-Herald?
A: The newspaper (Omaha World-Herald) is owned by Lee Enterprises. The website is operated by the newspaper’s digital arm. (Wikipedia)

Q: How reliable is the news on Omaha.com?
A: As a major regional newspaper with a dedicated newsroom, it holds to journalistic standards. But—as with any outlet—verify for yourself especially on issue of recency, sourcing, and whether opinion vs reporting.

Q: Does Omaha.com cover only Omaha city or the broader region?
A: While the focus is on Omaha and the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area (Nebraska + Iowa), it covers regional issues, state matters, local business, culture and events relevant to that area.

Q: How has Omaha.com evolved over time?
A: The online staff size doubled in a 2-year span (as of the cited job posting) and the site was redesigned to emphasise mobile/tablet, local timely content. (newsroom.unl.edu)

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