The most recent editor of The Southern Illinoisan was 22-year-old Jackson Brandhorst, a native of Carbondale, Illinois.

[5] In 2018, news room staff voted to unionize following an unannounced mass layoff earlier in the year.

[6] Starting June 20, 2023, the print edition of the newspaper was reduced to three days a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

[7] In October 2023, Lee Enterprises sold the newspaper to Paxton Media Group.

[8] Lee Enterprises' sale of The Southern Illinoisan was delayed after pushback from the newspapers union guild.