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Georgia Trust for Local News partners with local supporters to acquire two historic newspapers
- Shannon Holfoth
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
Deal will revitalize local journalism in Middle, West and South Georgia
Dublin, Ga. – The Georgia Trust for Local News today purchased The Macon Telegraph and The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer in a landmark transaction that puts two storied papers under local control and nonprofit ownership.
The Telegraph has operated as a journalistic mainstay in Middle Georgia for 200 years and
has a legacy of community-changing investigative journalism, including a Pulitzer Prize for specialized reporting. The Ledger-Enquirer has long been Columbus’ leading news source and has twice won the Pulitzer Prize for public service. For both papers, this is the first change of ownership in 20 years.
The Georgia Trust is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Local News, a nonprofit that acquires, stabilizes and revitalizes news organizations across the country. Thanks to support from local funders in Macon and Columbus, these vital civic institutions will benefit from the National Trust’s model for sustaining trusted sources of local news.
Including today’s acquisitions from McClatchy Media, the Georgia Trust now operates 21 local newspapers and digital platforms across Middle, West and South Georgia – covering a geography of more than one million people. That includes an expanded presence in Macon, where it currently operates The Macon Melody, plus expansion into Columbus, the state’s second-largest city. The Columbus coverage area includes the western part of the state and eastern sections of Alabama.
The purchase of these newspapers from one of the country’s largest media companies marks a new phase of growth for the entire National Trust, which also operates state trusts in Maine and Colorado.
“This is a great day for local news in Georgia,” said Tom Wiley, CEO of the National Trust for Local News. “These vital community assets will not only be preserved, but also reinvigorated and strengthened for a vibrant future.”
To mark the acquisition, the Georgia Trust will temporarily remove The Ledger-Enquirer’s and The Telegraph’s digital paywalls to welcome all members of the community to connect with these publications.
Financial Support & News Operations
The National Trust’s growth model leverages catalytic philanthropic investment to accelerate local publishers’ ability to drive earned revenue from subscriptions, advertising, events and other emerging sources.
In 2024, with a $5 million grant from Knight Foundation, the National Trust for Local News launched a startup community newsroom, The Macon Melody. The community journalism produced by Georgia Trust reporters in Macon quickly established The Melody as a vital local resource and partner in Middle Georgia. Knight Foundation’s support strengthened the infrastructure that makes today’s acquisitions possible.
Another steadfast supporter of the Georgia Trust is the Peyton Anderson Foundation. To honor the legacy of Peyton T. Anderson, Jr., former owner and publisher of The Telegraph, the Peyton Anderson Foundation is providing funding for the acquisition of The Telegraph.
The Melody and The Telegraph will bring their strengths together into a single news source. Operating as The Telegraph, this combined publication will blend the scale, domain authority and subscriber base of The Telegraph with the community-first voice, local relationships and entrepreneurial muscle of The Melody. Later this summer, The Melody will become a section within The Telegraph highlighting the people, places and moments that are the rhythm of Macon. The Telegraph newsroom will be housed in Mercer University’s Reg Murphy Center for Collaborative Journalism.
Funding for the acquisition of The Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus was provided by a grant
from The Local News and Information Fund at the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley. Through the Community Foundation, more than a dozen individuals and community stakeholders contributed to the fund’s support of The Ledger-Enquirer acquisition, underscoring the enthusiastic local support for the newspaper’s future under nonprofit ownership.
The Ledger-Enquirer newsroom will move to a space on Broadway, in Columbus’ central business district. The space is rented from CSU Properties, the charitable arm that manages real estate holdings for the benefit of Columbus State University. CSU and the Georgia Trust for Local News are in talks to bolster collaboration that will allow students to gain hands-on experience at the publication.
Restoring Local Leadership
The acquisition comes on the heels of the Georgia Trust for Local News’ hiring of a new executive director, Cynthia DuBose, who started in her role on June 1.
While the National Trust provides the capital and runway to transform local newsrooms into modern enterprises, the state trusts ensure each newsroom relies on local management driving on-the-ground operations – a role DuBose is leading in tandem with Georgia Trust newsrooms throughout the state.
“What makes this historic transaction especially exciting is the groundswell of national, statewide and community-based financial support to enable these storied publications’ shift to nonprofit ownership and local management," DuBose said. “Under the Georgia Trust’s stewardship, these publications will recapture their role in civic leadership, and ensure a strong commitment to hyper-local coverage and enhanced community engagement.”
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About The National Trust for Local News The National Trust is a nonprofit news organization providing quality, hyper-local community news across more than 50 newspaper titles in Maine, Georgia and Colorado. It uses philanthropy to invest in local newspapers but relies on earned revenue from subscriptions, advertising events, and more to sustain it. The Trust’s goal is to harness the power of local newspapers to build a more resilient, equitable and vibrant future for local news nationwide. Learn more at www.nationaltrustforlocalnews.org
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