The Atlanta Civic Circle, a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to covering democracy and housing affordability in Atlanta, has announced its closure due to financial challenges. After five years of operation, the organization, founded by Maria Saporta and Bill Bolling, has been unable to secure the consistent funding necessary to sustain its work.

A Trusted Source in Atlanta

Since its inception in 2018, the Atlanta Civic Circle (ACC) has become a trusted source for local political news, providing award-winning voter guides and policy initiatives such as the ‘POV (Priorities, Opinions and Values).’ These initiatives will now be managed by Neighborhood Nexus, a civic data group in the metro area.

The closure of ACC marks the loss of a dedicated affordable housing reporter in the city. Sean Keenan, the outlet’s housing reporter, expressed concern over the lack of coverage on critical issues like affordable housing metrics, blight taxes, and homelessness. Keenan, who started with ACC over seven years ago, highlighted the potential consequences of this gap in local journalism.

Impact on the Community

The Atlanta Civic Circle’s open letter emphasized the importance of a free press in democracy, noting that the loss of reporters like Keenan leaves communities with fewer eyes on the institutions that impact their lives. The organization is working to archive its website to ensure that its reporting remains accessible online.

The closure serves as a reminder of the vital role local journalism plays and the need for community support to sustain it. As the small but dedicated team of reporters moves on to other outlets, the community is left to ponder the future of local news coverage in Atlanta.

Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.