The Georgia Trust for Local News has acquired The Macon Telegraph and The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, two legendary newspapers in Georgia. This acquisition marks a significant milestone for the trust, which aims to preserve and revitalize local news sources.
Local Control and Nonprofit Ownership
Under the Georgia Trust, both newspapers will operate under local control and nonprofit ownership. The trust is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Local News, a nonprofit organization that acquires, stabilizes, and revitalizes news organizations across the country.
The acquisition is made possible through the support of local funders in Macon and Columbus, as well as grants from organizations such as the Knight Foundation and the Peyton Anderson Foundation. The Georgia Trust will ensure that each newsroom relies on local management, with a focus on hyper-local coverage and community engagement.
Expansion and Growth
The acquisition expands the Georgia Trust’s presence in Middle Georgia, with a total of 21 local newspapers and digital platforms across the region. The trust has designed a model to build sustainable journalism, leveraging philanthropic investment to drive earned revenue from subscriptions, advertising, and other sources.
The Macon Telegraph, which has operated for 200 years, will combine its resources with The Macon Melody, a community-first news source. The combined newsroom will be housed in Mercer University’s Reg Murphy Center for Collaborative Journalism. The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer will move to a new space on Broadway, in Columbus’ central business district.
Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.
