The NAICS category 51311 (Newspaper Publishers) encompasses businesses engaged in publishing newspapers, primarily in digital formats, across various sectors including military, congressional, and enterprise news. These publishers produce and distribute news content through web-based platforms, offering comprehensive information services that include current and archived news, research tools, and specialized content targeting specific professional or institutional audiences. The services typically involve web-based subscriptions providing access to multiple news sources, analysis, and legislative tracking capabilities.
The federal contract awards within this NAICS category demonstrate a focus on digital news subscriptions for government agencies, with contracts ranging from one to five years and involving multiple federal departments. The Department of Defense, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency have recently pursued sole source or competitive procurements for digital news services. Contracts are predominantly structured as annual subscriptions with option periods, utilizing firm-fixed-price arrangements. Most opportunities do not specify set-aside designations and operate under a small business size standard of 1,000 employees, with performance locations primarily in major metropolitan areas like San Antonio, Texas and New York.
Recent federal contract opportunities within this NAICS category include comprehensive digital news subscriptions for military libraries, congressional information analysis, and enterprise digital news publications. The Department of the Air Force has sought subscriptions covering military news from over 40 sources, supporting active duty, reserve, and retired military personnel. The Department of the Army is developing a digital news publication for Fort Campbell, Kentucky, while the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is procuring professional news software licenses. These opportunities consistently emphasize requirements for web-based access, current and archived content, usage tracking, and multi-source information platforms tailored to specific institutional needs.