The Citizen has been delivering weekly news of the North Boroughs since 1976, when the paper was started by Earl Rankin. A graduate of Ohio University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, Earl worked for a daily newspaper, The East Liverpool Review, as a reporter and photographer, and later in advertising for Gateway and Gannett publications before starting his own newspaper.

Earl died in 2001, just two weeks before the paper celebrated its 25th anniversary. Taking over as editor and publisher was his daughter, Connie Rankin, who had worked for the paper for several years before becoming a trial lawyer. She is a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, and has a juris doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Today, The Citizen continues to report the news of Avalon, Bellevue, Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights, Emsworth, Kilbuck Township and Ohio Township. It remains one of the few independently owned weekly papers in the country.