The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Invests in Digital Transformation, Expansion Across Atlanta, Georgia and the South

ATLANTA, Sept. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, founded in 1898, is making a substantial investment to transform the storied daily newspaper into a modern media company, establishing an ambitious goal of delivering 500,000 subscribers by the end of 2026.

"Our mission is to be the most essential and engaging source of news for the people of Atlanta, Georgia and the South," said AJC president and publisher Andrew Morse. "Atlanta is one of the nation's most dynamic cities, influencing local, regional and national conversations in politics, business, film and television and sports. The AJC is well positioned to capture the substance and soul of the region at an important moment in history."

The AJC is owned by Cox Enterprises, the company founded by Ohio Gov. James M. Cox, and it remains its flagship publication. Cox will make a significant investment to expand the paper's reach in metro Atlanta and key communities across Georgia, including Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah. The AJC plans to hire approximately 100 new positions in all parts of the business over the next few years.

The AJC's expansion plans call for investments in key news beats, video and audio storytelling capabilities, and new products designed to meet the needs of several distinct segments of potential subscribers. The investment will also focus on bolstering the AJC's product development, engineering, analytics and marketing teams to ensure the AJC meets the needs of modern news consumers.

The paper has already made key hires and promotions this year, starting with Morse, a digital and television media executive who previously held senior executive roles at CNN, Bloomberg and ABC News, and Leroy Chapman Jr., a veteran newspaper journalist who was promoted to editor-in-chief and is the AJC's first Black top editor. Morse also recently added former Bustle Media executive Sharmi Gandhi as CFO and Erin Malone, formerly of CNN, as COO, to his senior leadership team.

In addition, Sharif Durhams from the Washington Post was named managing editor for news. Janelle Davis recently returned to the AJC from the Washington Post as managing editor overseeing features, food and sports. Mike Jordan was hired as the senior editor to lead a team focused on building a new product related to Black culture. 

The AJC has already begun its transformation this year, announcing tentpole video and audio programming. Legendary Atlanta broadcaster Monica Pearson will host a new weekly video program and podcast, The Monica Pearson Show, that will launch later this year. Pearson's show will live alongside the AJC's growing podcast slate, which includes the award-winning Breakdown, Politically Georgia, The Braves Report, The Hawks Report, and Southern Fried Soccer, among others, and will mark the first weekly video program in the AJC's history. The AJC brought on another broadcast legend, Bill Nigut, for Politically Georgia, which will increase to a daily show and also air on local broadcast partner WABE. Adam Van Brimmer joined the paper from The Savannah Morning News as a journalist and editor of The Jolt, the AJC's daily political newsletter. The paper is exploring film projects, starting with original documentaries.

"Atlanta is a city on the rise, and we need to meet the moment. We see journalism not just as a way to inform the public and hold the powerful accountable, but also to cover the stories that people here are living. It's how we experience our lives, from politics to sports, business to arts, and it's an act of service to provide that coverage," Chapman said.

About The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the most essential and engaging source of information for metropolitan Atlanta. With approximately 6 million monthly unique visitors to our digital products and platforms and a growing print and digital subscriber base, the AJC serves one of the most dynamic, diverse, and influential cities in America. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is a subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises Inc.

For more information, visit www.ajc.com.

SOURCE Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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