| Core Identity |
| Developer | Gannett | BH Media Group | Forum Communications Company | Forum Communications Company | Community Media Group Inc | Forum Communications Company | LIN Television Corporation | OregonLive.com | NBCUniversal Media, LLC | Media General |
| Category | News | News | News | News | News | News | News | News | News | News |
| Platform | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS | iOS | iOS | iOS | iOS, Android | Android, iOS | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Store Metrics |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Ratings Count | 2,196 | 251 | 63 | 68 | 22 | 127 | 4,585 | 10,046 | 549 | 2,548 |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Release Date | Oct 11, 2016 | Nov 5, 2010 | Feb 12, 2020 | Feb 12, 2020 | Sep 15, 2022 | Jun 17, 2020 | Oct 7, 2010 | Oct 2, 2010 | Nov 21, 2016 | Oct 21, 2010 |
| Last Updated | Mar 10, 2026 | May 14, 2026 | Jan 19, 2026 | Jan 19, 2026 | Feb 18, 2026 | Jan 19, 2026 | Mar 9, 2026 | May 6, 2026 | Apr 7, 2026 | Mar 9, 2026 |
| Sentiment & Reviews |
| Sentiment | negative | negative | - | - | - | - | negative | terrible | mixed | mixed |
| Score | 25/100 | 25/100 | - | - | - | - | 25/100 | 15/100 | 35/100 | 45/100 |
| Praises | - Dependable local and state news coverage provides value beyond national television broadcasts
- Digital access to newspaper content eliminates the need for physical paper delivery
| - Local news coverage provides reliable information for residents of the community
| - | - | - | - | - Local news and weather coverage provides consistent value for community members
| - Local news reporting provides valuable insights into regional events and community developments
| - Local news coverage provides timely and accurate information for daily morning routines
| - Local news and weather alerts provide essential daily information for residents in the Charleston area
|
| Complaints | - Persistent authentication failures force users to log in repeatedly during daily usage
- Intrusive pop-up advertisements with audio disrupt the reading experience for paid subscribers
- Frequent application crashes and loading errors prevent access to the digital newspaper edition
| - Frequent application crashes and connection errors prevent consistent access to news
| - | - | - | - | - Frequent application freezing and startup failures disrupt access to news content
| - Frequent forced sign-outs and authentication loops prevent access to paid subscriber content
- Persistent application crashes and freezing during article scrolling disrupt the reading experience
| - Technical failures prevent users from reading stories or loading content after the latest update
| - Frequent application freezes and crashes occur during news consumption and ad loading sequences
|
| Requests | - Improved customer support accessibility for resolving billing and technical subscription issues
| - Adjustable body font size is required to improve readability for users
| - | - | - | - | - Expanded streaming options for local news broadcasts on connected television devices
| - Improved stability and reliable authentication to ensure consistent access for paid subscribers
| - Granular notification controls to filter out minor weather alerts and non-essential updates
| - Improved geographic specificity for push notifications to avoid irrelevant alerts from neighboring states
|
| Strategic Intel |
| Strengths | - Original local journalism provides a content moat against automated aggregators
- USA TODAY network bundling increases total subscription utility
| - Editorial authority in regional politics
- E-edition retention for legacy print base
| - | - | - | - | - Regional brand identity anchors local news loyalty
- High-utility radar map drives daily session frequency
| - First-party local journalism provides a trusted editorial voice that algorithmic aggregators cannot replicate.
- Newspapers.com archive integration functions as a long-term retention moat for research-focused subscribers.
| - Investigative units (I-Team/Responds) establish local trust
- First Alert Weather team provides regional accuracy
- 24/7 live streaming maintains session depth
| - Trusted on-air personality rapport drives long-term viewer loyalty
- Interactive radar map provides high-utility retention loops
|
| Weaknesses | - Persistent authentication loops (high-frequency complaint)
- Intrusive audio-enabled ads for paid subscribers
- Frequent crashes in the digital newspaper edition
| - Frequent crashes post-splash screen
- Authentication failures for valid subscribers
- Aggressive ad-gating
| - | - | - | - | - High-frequency app freezing post-update
- Aggressive ad-load and forced login prompts
- 0.7★ Android-iOS rating gap
| - Persistent authentication loops block access to paid content for active subscribers.
- 2.62 Android rating reflects severe technical debt and instability compared to iOS counterparts.
- Intrusive ad-clutter degrades the reading experience and obscures premium content value.
| - Loading failures on the latest version
- Tablet setup blocks
- Repetitive content saturation
| - Frequent application crashes during ad loads
- Stale content updates failing to provide timely information
- Excessive ad density disrupting reading experience
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| Pricing | freemium | freemium | free | free | free | free | free | subscription | free | free |
| Momentum | Maintenance | Maintenance | - | - | - | - | - | Maintenance | Intense | - |
| Update Cadence | 4 versions, ~27d avg | 4 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~38d avg | - | - | - | - | - | 3 versions, 2 majors/6mo, ~34d avg | 5 versions | - |
