Ownership
The Putnam Standard has a long history stretching back over 100 years to the days it was known as The Putnam Democrat. In April 2007, the Putnam Democrat was purchased by Lincoln County native Dan Butcher and re-branded as The Putnam Standard. Today, the newspaper is owned by Unger Enterprises of Nitro, W.Va. Unger Enterprises also owns The Putnam Standard's sister publication The Cabell Standard. .

Model
The Putnam Standard is a true community newspaper. While the company model is new to West Virginia, community newspapers nationwide are a proven success. Decline in circulation for many daily newspapers can be attributed to their inability to serve suburban communities with quality, relevant news and information. *The Suburban Newspapers of America has found that readers of community newspapers prefer then to other media outlets for their local news content, as well as local shopping and advertising information. Nationwide, advertisers are discovering that community newspapers are the place where local news and local business meet.

Mission
The Putnam Standard's mission is to provide quality news and information emanating from the communities that it serves. By focusing on education, local sports, neighborhood events, and any information that raises awareness of residents to the positive things happening in their community, The Putnam Standard generates relevant and important news and readers crave.