News & Updates

When Kyle Dominy writes, the town seems to talk. He’s a journalist at his core, an observer.  His most talked-about recent work, headlined “ Shopping Carts and Living at the End of Civilization ,” was a column on the absence of the decent act of returning carts to the corral after finishing at the grocery store. For Dominy, it was part of one day in a small town that he thought spoke to kindness and caring for your neighbor. “I'll take 30 seconds of my day and stretch it into

When a seat opened  on the Macon-Bibb County Board of Commissioners, The Macon Melody  didn't just cover the race. They created a space for the community to gather and learn about the candidates themselves. In February, The Melody hosted a public debate for the six candidates vying to fill the vacant District 5 commission seat – a district that Executive Editor Joshua Wilson describes as "vast" in its geography, history and population mix. The idea came from Senior Reporter L

Growing up in Middle Georgia, Rodney Manley remembers waiting every day as a child for his local newspaper to arrive. And when he finally got his hands on The Courier Herald , he went straight to the sports section. Rodney Manley, reporter, The Courier Herald Back then, he had no idea that he’d one day end up working for his hometown newspaper and uncovering the dire financial condition of the Dublin City School District. Manley has covered just about everything over a 35-yea

Joshua Wilson has spent nearly two decades telling stories about the Deep South. But when he relocated to Macon in 2025 to lead The Macon Melody, the Mississippi native noticed something remarkable: Everywhere he turned, he encountered the city's extraordinary contributions to music. "Macon's influence on American music is staggering," Wilson said. "The Allman Brothers, Little Richard, Otis Redding, Jason Aldean — this city shaped, and continues to shape, the music we cherish

As the National Trust for Local News works to transform community news assets to grow the reach and impact of local journalism, the nonprofit today announced the launch of its new digital marketing agency, Switchline Digital . Led by experienced executives at the National Trust, Switchline will provide human-led, AI-driven marketing strategies for businesses across every industry. “Switchline Digital represents one example of the National Trust for Local News’s enhanced focus

Laura Corley has been reporting in her hometown of Macon, Ga., for more than a dozen years. A veteran of multiple local news organizations who has worked nearly all the beats, from breaking news to business and education, she joined The Macon Melody shortly after its 2024 launch. Her work, focused on accountability journalism, is funded by a grant from the Peyton Anderson Foundation.  In the course of her reporting, Corley started attending board meetings for local authoritie

We’re hiring: Executive Director / Publisher, Georgia Trust for Local News Position Summary The National Trust for Local News has an opening for one of the most exciting jobs in community journalism. We want a leader who’s eager to join us in building a new model for providing high-impact news to rural America. This work will have an immediate impact on more than a million Georgians while creating a national playbook for news organizations serving millions more. If you want

The Georgia Trust for Local News was created to prevent news deserts and stimulate creative solutions to build sustainable journalism in Middle Georgia. Those aims have been met, with the Georgia Trust now boasting a portfolio of 20 community titles, ranging from some of the state’s oldest newspapers to the startup The Macon Melody. The National Trust for Local News’s successful launch of the Georgia Trust wouldn’t have been possible without DuBose Porter, a 40-year veteran o

As the Macon Melody broadens its reach through expanded digital offerings, the startup newsroom recently launched The Riff , a weekday newsletter that reimagines how readers stay connected to their community. Melody Executive Editor Joshua Wilson and Sports Editor Micah Johnston designed the newsletter around a simple insight: People want to understand what's happening locally, but most weekday mornings don't allow time for deep reading. The Riff lands in readers’ inboxes wi

It’s not often now that the number of newspapers in America actually increases. But this week, one of the most vibrant cities in the South has a brand new community newspaper. Today our Georgia Trust for Local News is launching The Macon Melody   in Macon, Georgia.    The Melody  is the vibrant newspaper that a place like Macon deserves – delivering relevant, engaging, and informative community news from a bustling newsroom in Macon. The launch of The Macon Melody is also an

National Trust for Local News subsidiary will sustain community newspapers in Georgia with support from Knight, Woodruff, and Casey...