Three Georgia Newspapers Now Owned By New York Publisher
The Augusta Chronicle’s headquarters on Broad Street. Gatehouse Media is acquiring the Chronicle, Georgia’s oldest newspaper, and two other papers.
Thomson200 / Wikimedia
Three of Georgia’s daily newspapers are now owned by a New York-based publishing company.
Morris Communications announced earlier this year it would sell 11 of its newspapers to Gatehouse Media, including The Augusta Chronicle, The Athens-Banner Herald and The Savannah Morning News.
Keith Herndon, professor of practice at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, said consolidation has been the trend for local newspapers to reduce overhead.
“If you consolidate a chain, you can eliminate some headquarter staff, you can eliminate financial staff,” Herndon said. “You can consolidate printing operations, you can consolidate other production operations, and so that labor savings is driving the industry’s consolidation in the face of declining revenue.”
The chairman of Morris Communications, William S Morris III, will remain as publisher of The Augusta Chronicle and oversee its editorial page policy for the three papers in Georgia, the company said.
The Chronicle is Georgia’s oldest newspaper, founded as The Augusta Gazette in 1785.
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