The Georgia Trust for Local News has bought two of Georgia’s historic newspapers from McClatchy Media, moving them from corporate ownership to local nonprofit control.
The Georgia Trust called its purchase of The Telegraph in Macon and The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer a landmark transaction aimed at stabilizing and revitalizing local journalism in Middle, West and South Georgia. The sale marks the first ownership change for both papers in two decades.
The Telegraph has served Middle Georgia for 200 years and has won a Pulitzer Prize for specialized reporting. The Ledger-Enquirer has twice won the Pulitzer Prize for public service.
The Georgia Trust is a subsidiary of the National Trust for Local News, a nonprofit that acquires and operates local news organizations. With the acquisition, the Georgia Trust now operates 21 local newspapers and digital platforms across Georgia, covering a region of more than 1 million people.
The deal expands the trust’s presence in Macon, where it operates The Macon Melody, and brings it into Columbus, Georgia’s second-largest city. The Columbus coverage area also includes parts of eastern Alabama.
The Macon Melody and The Telegraph will be combined into a single publication operating under The Telegraph name. Later this summer, The Melody is expected to become a section within The Telegraph.
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