# Journal Star — Local News, Sports and Weather

> Lincoln, Nebraska local news, sports, weather, and community information. (iPhone/iPad app by Lee Enterprises.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Lee Enterprises](https://appshunter.io/developer/366562520)
- Category: News
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 2.70/5 from 309 App Store ratings · 75 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 98 MB
- Languages: American English, European Spanish
- Released: 2010-05-20
- Data updated: 2026-09-08
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588/reviews.md

## What is Journal Star?

Your story lives in Lincoln. Get in-depth stories from Lincoln, Nebraska's No. 1 news outlet – including breaking news sports, opinion, obituaries, entertainment, and politics. From reporting on the Huskers to the news that matters most in your community, the state and beyond, we cover it all. 

Easily access the very latest news in an app built for you. Read, see, and hear exclusive commentary, stunning photography, video updates, and binge-worthy podcasts. Support local journalism by subscribing today for unlimited digital access.

Our app features:
* Your Stories – personalize your experience by selecting the local news topics that matter most to you
* Get notified – stay in the loop by selecting alerts for news, sports, weather, and more
* Easy navigation – see all the latest local stories by simply swiping up/down, and left/right
* Read stories your way – either in the News Feed or via the E-edition
* Breaking news updates – top banners let you know what’s happening right now
* Continue watching – pause a video and pick up where you left off across devices
* Bookmark for later – save stories to enjoy at your leisure
* Listen to articles – press the play button to listen instead
* Customize your text size – make the content bigger or smaller in your profile settings
* Weather where you are – hourly, 10-day forecasts, and frequent video updates

Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to breaking news updates, analysis, and more. 

Get the Lincoln Journal Star in Your Inbox
Get convenient, curated updates delivered to your Inbox. Sign up for Breaking News updates as they happen, the Afternoon Update for a roundup of the latest local top stories, Local Sports for the latest sports headlines, Food & Drink for foodies, Garage Sales for bargain hunters and many more.

Visit https://journalstar.com/newsletters/ to view and subscribe to all of The Lincoln Journal Star Newsletters.

Keep Up with The Lincoln Journal Star
Follow us on Facebook and other social platforms:
https://x.com/JournalStarNews
https://www.pinterest.com/ljsfeatures/
https://www.instagram.com/journalstarnews/
https://www.facebook.com/LincolnJournalStar/
https://www.youtube.com/user/JournalStarNews
https://www.linkedin.com/company/lincoln-journal-star/

About The Lincoln Journal Star
The Lincoln Journal Star is the premier news and information source in Southeast Nebraska covering local news, government, sports and events on https://journalstar.com/. Along with the area’s leading daily newspaper and website, we publish several niche publications and provide full service digital advertising services. 

We'd love to hear what you think! For any technical issues or questions, contact us at appsupport@lee.net

https://journalstar.com/terms

The Lincoln Journal Star is part of Lee Enterprises.

## Key features

- Personalized news feed
- Breaking news alerts
- Exclusive commentary and podcasts
- Video updates
- Bookmark stories
- Listen to articles
- Customizable text size

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | $44.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $29.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $42.99 | per month |
| Subscriptions | $344.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $289.99 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $50.00 | per year |
| Subscriptions | $379.99 | per year |


## Chart rankings

- #171 in Top Grossing · News (US App Store)

## What do users think of Journal Star?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 📱 Good for accessing local news on mobile
- ✍️ Well-written articles
- 📰 Comprehensive local news coverage

**Cons**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Articles fail to load or display blank pages
- 🐛 Login issues and constant re-authentication required
- 💰 High subscription cost ($25.99-$26.99/month)
- 📵 Intrusive and excessive ads
- 🔐 Subscription tracking problems - charged despite cancellation
- 📱 Poor app navigation and cluttered interface
- 🎯 Difficult to find local news content
- 🔄 Inconsistent menu functionality
- 📐 No landscape mode support on iPad
- ⚠️ Malicious ad content (fake virus warnings)
- 🔍 Missing search functionality
- 🎬 Forced video ads that cannot be closed
- ⚡ App performance degradation over time
- 🔄 Frequent need to reinstall app
- 🗑️ Content quality concerns
- 🌐 Paywall implementation without clear communication

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or during use
- Articles fail to load or display blank/white screens
- Black screen pop-ups that cannot be closed
- Login credentials not saved; constant re-authentication required
- App stops loading pages in e-edition after some time
- Subscription verification failures despite active subscription
- Articles not refreshing or updating
- Links to articles not working properly
- App incompatible with iPad landscape orientation
- App incompatible with iOS 14+ versions
- Random podcast audio playing in background
- Pages jumping around while reading
- Ads hijacking navigation to revenue pages
- E-edition content not displaying correctly
- Inconsistent menu states between old and new versions
- App freezing or becoming unresponsive

**Most requested features**

- Landscape mode support for tablets
- Improved search functionality
- Better content organization and categorization
- Free or lower-cost subscription tier
- Removal or reduction of ads for paid subscribers
- Consistent and intuitive menu design
- Better local news prioritization in feed
- Improved article loading reliability
- Better support for older iOS versions
- Ability to store sign-in information

## Recent user reviews (10 of 75)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/journal-star/id372575588/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Leftist news

*2026-02-01, version 9.19.3*

Typical biased left wing reporting, propaganda over facts.

### 1/5 — Can service get any worse?  Can’t get the app to run. Local news is dismal.

*2025-10-17, version 9.19*

Why would anyone do business with you guys??

### 5/5 — Long time subscriber

*2025-03-22, version 9.16.1*

I get most of my news on the app and really enjoy that. It is all I need for local news and the Journal does a good job. Not a fan of crossword puzzles and comics and the other extras in the big paper.

### 4/5 — Annoying Scrolling

*2025-03-19, version 9.16.1*

The articles are well written, but the annoying “being taken to adds” when trying to scroll up or down on the article will make me cancel my subscription!

### 1/5 — DO NOT GET A SUBSCRIPTION

*2024-11-06, version 9.13.3*

This paper was sold to Lee enterprises. They will not cancel subscriptions, keep charging you, and badger you when you call to cancel. I requested over 10 times to cancel my subscription and they spoke over me trying to seek me a subscription. Finally hung up and contacted my credit card company to cancel payment

### 1/5 — Awful

*2024-10-10, version 9.13.2*

App is awful.   Crashes.  Have to re-log in frequently.  Stories not refreshed. Bad.

### 2/5 — App constantly crashes

*2024-07-21, version 9.12.3*

I love having my local newspaper in a handy app on my phone. However, this app does not deliver. After some time it stops loading pages in the e-edition. I have to delete and reinstall the app to get it working again. I usually have to do this every 1-2 months. Please look into updating this app.

### 1/5 — Get your app together

*2023-11-08, version 9.8*

You take our money every month, but can not keep track of your subscribers.  

Continually get message:  “please subscribe to continue reading…”

We have been subscribers for many years.

### 1/5 — Unusable

*2023-10-10, version 9.8*

Despite having a subscription AND being logged in, I am asked to subscribe and am unable to continue reading.   If you have a subscription don’t bother with the app.  Use your web browser instead.

### 1/5 — Hard to find the local news

*2023-07-08, version 9.6.1*

The Journal Star is really encouraging its subscribers to go all-digital, but I’d feel a lot better about that if they would create an app that made it easy to find news. Somehow sports and obits keep floating to the top of this app. It would probably help if the app builders involved people who understand how people consume news.

## Frequently asked questions about Journal Star

### What kind of news does this app provide?

This app provides in-depth local news coverage for Lincoln, Nebraska, including breaking news, sports, opinion, obituaries, entertainment, and politics. It focuses on reporting relevant to the community, the state, and beyond.

### What are the key features of the app?

Key features include a personalized news feed where you can select topics, breaking news notifications, easy navigation, the ability to read stories in different formats, video updates, bookmarking for later, listening to articles, and customizable text size. It also offers hourly and 10-day weather forecasts with video updates.

### Is the app free to download and use?

The app is free to download. Subscribers gain unlimited digital access to breaking news updates, analysis, and more. There are also in-app purchases available for enhanced access and features.

### What devices is this app compatible with?

While specific device compatibility isn't detailed, the app is designed for mobile use and offers features like continuing to watch videos across devices, suggesting it's available on common smartphone and tablet platforms.

### How can I get news updates delivered to my inbox?

You can sign up for curated updates delivered to your inbox via newsletters. Options include Breaking News updates, Afternoon Update, Local Sports, Food & Drink, and Garage Sales. More information is available on the journalstar.com website.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 9.22.1 — 2026-08-06

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 9.22 — 2026-07-09

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 9.21 — 2026-05-14

Bug fixes and performance improvements.

### 9.19.3 — 2026-01-26

Puzzmo, a game-changing collection of additional games and puzzles

### 9.19.2 — 2025-12-02

Improved login and authentication for a smoother experience. Plus, a new subscription plan, bug fixes, and more.

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## More apps by Lee Enterprises

- [La Crosse Tribune](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/la-crosse-tribune/id366562516)
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- [NWI.com](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nwicom/id369916938)
- [WiscNews](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wiscnews/id370070071)
- [Missoulian](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/missoulian/id370297476)

All apps by Lee Enterprises: https://appshunter.io/developer/366562520

## Related topics

[peoria journal star](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/peoria-journal-star)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-08.*