Important: These themes have been hand-picked by a professional web developer/designer who knows their sh*t. These themes aren’t randomly pulled from Google search results – they are selectively picked and highlighted because they deserve to be!
Not just any WordPress theme will work when you’re trying to make your Journalism Portfolio stand out, As a journalist, you’ll want something that:
- Highlights and focuses on your content
- Fits your journalism brand whether you’re trying to come off as serious, informational, fun, or impactful.
- Makes it easy for you to draft and publish as quickly as possible
- Keep your users interested and browsing around
If you are on the quest to make your journalism portfolio stand out, I found a text-heavy article that can help you stand out.
Here are the 20 best WordPress Themes for a Journalism Portfolio:
- MediaDesk – Magazine WordPress Theme
- Marlow – Distinctive, Typography-First WordPress Blog Theme
- NeoMag – News and Magazine WordPress Theme
- Kutak – Minimal Blog WordPress Theme
- The Newspaper – Magazine Editorial WordPress Theme
- Starter – Optimized, fast & minimalist blog theme!
- Carrino – An Exciting Gutenberg Blog Theme
- Akea – Blog WordPress Theme
- Gutentim – Modern Gutenberg WordPress Blog Theme
- The Writer – Modern WordPress Blog Theme
- Ofelia – Travel Personal WordPress Blog Theme
- Narrator – A Fluent WordPress Blogging Theme
- Aldo – Black and White Gutenberg Blog WordPress Theme
- Grafton – Blog & Magazine WordPress Theme
- GutenTag – 100% Gutenberg Blog WordPress Theme
- Harborne – Magazine & Blog WordPress Theme
- Signy – A Personal Blog WordPress Theme
- Katelyn – Creative Gutenberg Blog WordPress Theme
- Xmazine – WordPress Personal Blog & Magazine Theme
- Kimberly – WordPress Blog & Shop Theme
MediaDesk – Magazine WordPress Theme

The MediaDesk WordPress theme has a beautiful magazine-style that focuses on the content. I recommend this theme if your style of journalism has powerful images that go behind it because it does a great job of showing the imagery on the posts post itself and in the posts grid.
Key notes and features about MediaDesk
- WPBakery page builder
- Has WooCommerce already built-in
- Speed Scores are 40 (Mobile) and 70 (Desktop) with Googles PageSpeed Insights with all plugins enabled – can be improved by deactivating unused plugins
- Has many different homepage layouts and demo content setup
- The theme is $75 USD on ThemeForest
The Good about MediaDesk
- Beautiful theme with very professional-looking typography and use of colours.
- Has powerful plugins made to be compatible and easy to set up immediately like WooCommerce and WPML for multi-language support.
The Bad about MediaDesk
- The theme has too many plugins and features that you will have to go enable/disable to get the theme at a simplified level for a journalism portfolio.
- To get the post pages looking as good as they are in the demo, you have to use WPBakery which takes more time. Though you can still use the simpler Gutenberg editor
Buy or learn more about the MediaDesk WordPress theme on ThemeForest.
Marlow – Distinctive, Typography-First WordPress Blog Theme

Admittedly this theme looks a bit outdated at this point, but it does a lot right. It highly focuses on the content of the articles, and the author who wrote them. When you have this theme, it’s clear that it’s built for journalism because of how it hights the content and the author who wrote them.
Key notes and features about Marlow
- No page builder – just a basic content editor. Though columns can be made with the Advanced shortcode generator plugin that comes pre-installed.
- The theme has excellent speed scores – 82 (mobile) and 97 (desktop) on Googles Page Speed Insights
- The theme costs $30 USD on ThemeForest
The Good about Marlow
- Very fast loading theme – built for speed and simplicity
- A minimal amount of extra plugins and dependencies making setup easy for anyone
- Has everything you need to start writing posts immediately without much of a learning curve.
The Bad about Marlow
- There is no demo about page setup, so you’ll have to create your own from scratch.
- The theme looks semi-outdated. May need some rebranding or styling to get it looking up-to-date.
Learn more or buy the Marlow WordPress theme on ThemeForest
NeoMag – News and Magazine WordPress Theme

NeoMag is a bold styled blog entry heavy WordPress theme. This theme’s homepage introduces a lot of different blog categories in a really organized way. I would recommend this theme if you do have a lot of articles that are powered by categorization.
Key notes and features about NeoMag
- Gutenberg and Classic Editor for article editing
- Article focused design
- The theme has an 85 (mobile) and a 98 (desktop) speed score with Googles PageSpeed Insights
- The theme is $50 USD on ThemeForest
The Good about NeoMag
- Monetization built-in and ready to be set up
- Very fast loading speed and score
- Beautiful use of colours to differentiate categories
- Article-focused built with little to no unnecessary bloat or complexity
- Easy font and colour editing in the theme options
The Bad about NeoMag
- You might need a builder plugin like WPBakery or something like Advanced Gutenberg to create pages with more complex layouts and elements.
You can learn more or buy the NeoMag theme on ThemeForest
Kutak – Minimal Blog WordPress Theme

This theme is a simple article-focused WordPress theme that implements AJAX quite well – no need for pagination or loading different pages for the same content! The theme is super-fast (almost perfect speed scores) and still manages to look good and have a lot of imagery.
Key notes and features about Kutak
- The theme uses the new WordPress Gutenberg editor
- The theme has a 93 (Mobile) and a 98 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights
- The theme is $40 USD on ThemeForest
The Good about Kutak
- Infinity scroll – uses AJAX to avoid pagination to keep loading content without refreshing the page
- Lazy loading and speed optimizations built-in. Overall, one of the best-optimized WordPress themes I have ever seen
- Trending and Recommended posts
The Bad about Kutak
- From a user experience standpoint – avoid the “modern header” style and use the “classic header” style instead
Learn more or buy the Kutak WordPress theme on ThemeForest
The Newspaper – Magazine Editorial WordPress Theme

A WordPress theme built for the nostalgic. The Newspaper is a black-white serif type theme that looks and feels like you’re reading straight from a newspaper.
Key notes and features about The Newspaper
- Uses a custom page builder
- The theme gets a 60 (mobile) and 85 (desktop) speed scores with Googles PageSpeed Insights
- The theme is $60 USD on ThemeForest
The Good about The Newspaper
- Great looking and functioning theme
- The default sidebar content is actually useful – ad space and top searches
- Cookie Notice already set up and styled
The Bad about The Newspaper
- Uses an unfamiliar custom page builder
- Unnecessary plugins installed like Revolution Slider, Layer Slider, and MegaMenu
- Auto-Rotating Content sliders set up by default
Learn more or buy The Newspaper theme on ThemeForest
Starter – Optimized, fast & minimalist blog theme!

I like this theme specifically for the above-the-fold section. Once you land on the page, you get your most recently published post in your journalist portfolio front and center. Underneath is where you can have your continued journalist portfolio in a paginated list.
Key notes and features about Starter
- Is E-Commerce ready (Powered by WooCommerce of course)
- The theme has 83 (mobile) and a 92 (desktop) speed scores on Googles PageSpeed Insights
- The theme is $50 USD on ThemeForest
The Good about Starter
- It’s simple and uncomplicated. It just works. No unnecessary plugins too
- Great speed scores
The Bad about Starter
- Beyond some fonts and some colors, customization is limited. For the most part, what you see is what you get.
Learn more or buy Starter on ThemeForest
Carrino – An Exciting Gutenberg Blog Theme

This refreshing WordPress theme is perfect for a journalism portfolio going for a trendy and soft feel. The pink comes off strong, but it can come in any color you want by changing the color scheme in the theme settings.
Key notes and features about Carrino
- Posts and pages are powered by the default Gutenberg WordPress builder
- The theme gets a 77 (mobile) and 92 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights
- E-Commerce ready powered by WooCommerce
- The theme is $40 USD on ThemeForest
- Comes with MailChimp, and Contact form plugins already installed and styled
The Good about Carrino
- Trendy and smooth design
- No unnecessary plugins that slow down the site
- 4 different (and good) homepage designs to choose from
The Bad about Carrino
- Very limited static elements set up to create non-dynamic landing pages easily from the demo content
Learn more or buy the Carrino WordPress theme on ThemeForest
Akea – Blog WordPress Theme

Akea (Not to be confused with Ikea) is a clean WordPress blog theme. I like this theme in particular because of the individual blog post pages and how distraction-free and content-focused they are for your journalism portfolio.
Key notes and features about Akea
- Pages powered by GoodLayers Page Builder and posts built with the Gutenberg editor
- The theme has a 35 (mobile) and 53 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights
- The theme is $54 on ThemeForest
The Good about Akea
- Many different home and blog layouts to choose from
- Made with the GoodLayers Page Builder which enables you to create more complex page layouts
- Many different pre-styled elements like tabs, accordions, and call to actions.
The Bad about Akea
- Not the most speed optimized theme. Might need some manual improvement
Learn more or buy Akea on ThemeForest
Gutentim – Modern Gutenberg WordPress Blog Theme

This theme has an above the fold perfect for a journalism portfolio. When you land on the page you are immediately shown 3 of the most recent posts and a brief description of who you are (Home v2).
Key notes and features
- Gutenberg page builder based
- The theme gets a 38 (mobile) and a 66 (desktop) speed scores on Googles PageSpeed Insights
- The theme is $40 on ThemeForest
The Good about Gutentim
- A minimal amount of theme-dependent plugins
- 6 significantly different homepages to choose from
- Well-designed single posts page
The Bad about Gutentim
- The design is nice, but it doesn’t have a wow factor.
Learn more or buy the Gutentim theme on ThemeForest
The Writer – Modern WordPress Blog Theme

Aside from the obnoxiously designed menu, this is a solid theme that is article-focused that has a focus on integration with your Twitter feed.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 42 (mobile) and a 74 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool.
- The theme is $50 on ThemeForest
- Theme powered by Visual Composer page builder
The Good about The Writer
- Beautifully designed post grid
- Simple looking, distraction-free theme
The Bad about The Writer
- Obnoxious and poorly designed menu
- Theme isn’t as fast as it should for the simplicity it brings to the front end
- Many different plugins pre-installed
Learn more or buy The Writer theme on ThemeForest
Ofelia – Travel Personal WordPress Blog Theme

This theme is another great option if you have power phototherapy to go alongside your Journalism portfolio pieces. It’s a fast and simple theme that’s good for someone who doesn’t want to get too complex with the more technical side of WordPress.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 75 (mobile) and a 95 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool.
- The theme is $39 on ThemeForest
- Theme powered by Gutenberg page builder for posts (none for other pages)
The Good about Ofelia
- Simple and fast loading speed
- More affordable price than a lot of the other theme options
The Bad about Ofelia
- Offers only basic customization of the theme in its options, not super-customizable
- No builder pre-installed to make more complex page layouts
Learn more or buy the Ofelia theme on ThemeForest
Narrator – A Fluent WordPress Blogging Theme

This theme is perfect for a Journalist with a respective Instagram account. The Instagram feed is at the bottom of every page showing off more personality to your portfolio.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 53 (mobile) and a 88 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool.
- The theme is $49 on ThemeForest
- Theme powered by Gutenberg page builder
The Good about The Narrator
- Simple and uncomplicated. It just works.
- Beautiful typography. You can tell it’s been done by a real professional designer.
The Bad about The Narrator
- No page builder to make more complex page layouts
Learn more or buy the The Narrator theme on ThemeForest
Aldo – Black and White Gutenberg Blog WordPress Theme

This theme is perfect for any minimalist Journalist who sees the beauty in words, as this theme is very content-focused.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 41 (mobile) and an 81 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool
- The theme is $59 on ThemeForest
- Theme powered by Gutenberg page builder
The Good about Aldo
- 4 different styles of post pages to choose from
- Supports both dark and light themes
The Bad about Aldo
- Not the fastest speed on mobile, could be better
Learn more or buy the The Aldo theme on ThemeForest
Grafton – Blog & Magazine WordPress Theme

This theme has a very refreshing blog grid layout design that makes you want to read and look through.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 42 (mobile) and an 80 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool
- The theme is $19 on ThemeForest
- Theme powered by Elementor page builder
The Good about Grafton
- Great value for money – only $20!
- Refreshing layout and design
- Uses Elementor page builder
The Bad about Grafton
- Not the fastest speed on mobile, could be better
Learn more or buy the The Grafton theme on ThemeForest
GutenTag – 100% Gutenberg Blog WordPress Theme

This theme has a very effective homepage layout to convey your personality and brand. Though used as a health blog in the demo, this theme can easily become an effect Journalism portfolio by populating it with your own content and images.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 42 (mobile) and an 82 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool
- The theme is $49 on ThemeForest
- Theme powered by The Gutenberg page builder
The Good about Gutentag
- Includes seperate Porfolio post type rather than utilizing blog posts
The Bad about Gutentag
- Could have better speed score on mobile
- No reviews/ratings yet, as ThemeForest requires at least 3 to show.
Learn more or buy the The Gutentag theme on ThemeForest
Harborne – Magazine & Blog WordPress Theme

This theme’s best homepage for a journalism portfolio is Home v5. Aside from the really weird homepage slider, This homepage and theme overall does a lot right. It starts off showing you some highlighted articles, then the article categories, then a general list of some more articles.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 66 (mobile) and an 77 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool
- The theme is $59 on ThemeForest
- Theme powered by custom page blocks for building pages and layouts
The Good about Harborne
- Custom layout blocks available to use without the need for a website builder
- WooCommerce ready
The Bad about Harborne
- With its font and styling, it looks a little outdated
- Has some unnecessary plugins that slow down the site
Learn more or buy the The Harborne theme on ThemeForest
Signy – A Personal Blog WordPress Theme

This theme’s layout is unque amoung the other themes listed so far. It features a powerful author image on the left side consistent accross all pages.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 93 (mobile) and a 85 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool
- The theme is $44 on ThemeForest
- No theme page builder
The Good about Signy
- Very fast loading speed
- WooCommerce ready
The Bad about Signy
- No page builder for more complex and custom page layouts
- Bad menu design for user experience
Learn more or buy the The Signy theme on ThemeForest
Katelyn – Creative Gutenberg Blog WordPress Theme

In my opinion, Home 4 is the best – espeacially for a Journalism portfolio. This theme is very clean and easy on the eyes.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 32 (mobile) and a 52 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool
- The theme is $59 on ThemeForest
- The theme is powered by Gutenberg for building pages
The Good about Katelyn
- Clean and properly designed
- WooCommerce ready
The Bad about Katelyn
- Not a great speed score
Learn more or buy the The Katelyn theme on ThemeForest
Xmazine – WordPress Personal Blog & Magazine Theme

The Xmazine theme is a powerful theme if you have big plans for your journalism portfolio. It includes a lot of paid premium WordPress plugins that you get for free when you purchase the theme.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 47 (mobile) and a 91 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool
- The theme is $47 on ThemeForest
- The theme is powered by WPBakery for building pages
The Good about Xmazine
- Powerful menus that can include sliders and tabs
- WooCommerce ready
The Bad about Xmazine
- Uses unnecessary plugins that slow down the site like Slider Revolution
- Mobile speed could be improved
Learn more or buy the The Xmazine theme on ThemeForest
Kimberly – WordPress Blog & Shop Theme

Kimberly is an all-encompassing WordPress blog theme with a nice design for a journalist.
Key notes and features
- The theme gets 60 (mobile) and an 82 (desktop) speed score on Googles PageSpeed Insights tool
- The theme is $59 on ThemeForest
- The theme is powered by WPBakery for building pages
The Good about Kimberly
- WooCommerce ready
- Attractive homepage layout
The Bad about Kimberly
- No page builder for making more complex page layouts