MONTICELLO, Ga. – Three years ago, Evan Newton was an intern at the Monticello News. Last month, he became the newspaper’s editor, publisher and owner after purchasing the outlet from its previous local owner.
At 25 years old, Newton is one of the youngest newspaper owners in Georgia. He told the Georgia Recorder that he got a “great deal” on the sale because Katherine Mudd, the paper’s previous owner, wanted to keep ownership local. If Newton hadn’t agreed to purchase the newspaper, Mudd said a corporate buyer would have likely been her next option.
While Newton didn’t share the value of the sale, he said he dipped into his savings for the purchase and is even considering buying more local newsrooms in the future.
Newton’s purchase not only gained local and statewide attention, but also national buzz. He said all kinds of people have offered their congratulations and thanks to him for still believing enough in community journalism to purchase his hometown newspaper, which covers Jasper County – home to about 18,000 people – in central Georgia.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Newton said. “It really just has me fired up to keep pushing this paper in the right direction and really make something that our community can be proud of.”
A sign that Gen Z believes in future of local journalism?
Local journalism is often described as being in “crisis.” On average, nonprofit Rebuild Local News estimates 2.5 local newsrooms shut down per week, creating news deserts — places where no newsrooms report on local issues.
About 5 million Georgians lack access to local reporting, making it the worst state for news deserts in the country, according to research from Northwestern University.
It’s not necessarily a secure time to purchase a local newspaper. According to the Pew Research Center, 39% of Americans say their local newspaper is not doing well financially. But Newton was optimistic about the future of his new business.
“I knew that I had an opportunity to not sit on the sidelines, but to really do something about the state of local journalism,” Newton said.
Amanda Bright, who is a University of Georgia clinical associate professor and who leads the Cox Institute Journalism Innovation Lab, said she was thrilled to hear about the newspaper’s sale.
“All the positive philanthropic things that we have seen over the last few years — people trying to support and help grow local news — is fine and all,” said Bright, who has worked with the Monticello News in the past. “But it was never going to be sustainable unless the next generation said local news matters.”
Bright said that’s exactly what has happened with Newton and the Monticello News. She said Gen Z has increasingly shown more interest in local news, which, in her view, will be the reason that the industry survives the decline of print journalism. According to Bright, over 200 programs nationwide allow students to embed themselves in local newsrooms, which allows them to understand the value of community journalism.
Bright said Newton is just one example of how many “mission-driven” young people are investing in local journalism, despite the pressures of the industry today.
“There is a trend, and I’m seeing it among my students as they go out into the industry, of them feeling called to do this work,” she said. “He’s definitely not alone in trying to do this, and I think that’s even more exciting.”
Newton said he believes the key to surviving the decline of local news is a combination of the old and the new. Older readers can still count on finding print copies of the Monticello News on their grocery store newsstands — because Newton knows older generations still value that form of journalism. But Newton said he is also excited for the paper’s digital future: curating a strong social media presence, focusing on digital advertising and even releasing a podcast someday.
Instead of wholly reinventing the Monticello News, Newton said he hopes to meet readers where they are, from print newspaper loyalists to his own chronically online generation.
“Local papers need to adapt to avoid falling behind, and that’s what we’re trying to do now,” he said. “This may be because I work in it, but I’ve never been under the impression that local journalism is going to die.”
Meet the reporter, editor, publisher and owner
Newton will be the only full-time staff member of the Monticello News, aided by two part-time staff members, community contributors and an intern. Within a week, he gained the responsibility of being the paper’s editor, publisher and owner. The first printed edition under his ownership included a layout redesign and several local news stories — nearly all written by Newton.
Newton knows he’s under pressure to deliver a great product to his community. But he said he feels more at ease running the Monticello News than in any of his other positions because his readers are his friends and neighbors.
Newton shared that he had been approached previously about purchasing the newspaper but had declined. This time, though, he said he felt ready to take on the responsibility of running his hometown outlet — a newspaper he first fell in love with while reading the crime reports and local sports section as a kid.
Newton said he’s looking forward to doing more “fearless journalism” and looks forward to covering issues like data center development and local government scandals.
Today, people have 24/7 access to worldwide news, but Newton said local news fills a niche that readers still need, covering regional governments, community events and local culture.
“Just because it’s ‘boring’ doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary,” he said. “If you don’t have local papers that are covering things, it will lead to an uninformed and uneducated community … I know what we’re doing is both a service but also just necessary for the everyday ins and outs of the community.”
During the Georgia Recorder’s interview with Newton, a woman walked into his office — an old brick building that’s housed the newspaper since the early 1900s. Newton stood and met the woman at the front desk for a long-winded explanation of her advertising problem.
Despite being only a week into ownership, Newton listened carefully, admitting he’s new to the job and fixed the issue as best he could. Later he said an owner with roots in Monticello can make better connections with the community than a corporate owner.
He noted that few community newsrooms still remain under local ownership. When 70-year-old Mudd decided to retire, Newton said he knew it was time to return home to Monticello and do his part to save local journalism.
“This is the place that I have always called home,” Newton said. “No matter how hard you try, it’s the people living and working in the community that can best tell the story of Jasper County.”
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated how long ago Newton was an intern at The Monticello News. It was three years ago.
This story was provided by WABE media partner the Georgia Recorder.
