The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer has been purchased by the Georgia Trust for Local News in a landmark transaction that puts the paper under local control and nonprofit ownership.

The Ledger-Enquirer has long been Columbus’ leading news source and an important civic institution. It has twice won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for public service. 

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. The National Trust’s executive team includes Columbus native Ross McDuffie, who has been leading the work on The Ledger-Enquirer acquisition.

Including today’s acquisitions, 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.

“The Ledger-Enquirer is a community asset worth revitalizing and growing,” said Cynthia DuBose, executive director of the Georgia Trust for Local News. “We are committed to building a modern and vibrant media organization that will provide quality local news and information for years to come.” 

The purchase of The Ledger-Enquirer was made possible through 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 Community Foundation exists to strengthen this community,” said Betsy Covington, president/CEO of the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley. “We believe it’s critically important that our residents have a strong, trusted, local news source for in-depth coverage of the issues affecting our home.

“Through our Local News and Information Fund, we’ve long looked for ways to support our news infrastructure philanthropically,” Covington added. “We’ve hoped for a day like this – and we’re thrilled that so many generous donors have come alongside us to contribute to the Fund and make this transformation possible.

“The National Trust and the Georgia Trust for Local News bring strong reputations for top-notch journalism,” she said. “We look forward to their energy, focus and positive impact.”

Donors who made the acquisition possible through contributions to The Local News and Information Fund at the Community Foundation (CFCV) include:

• Aflac, through The Aflac Fund at CFCV
• Kathelen and Dan Amos, through The Kathelen V. and Daniel P. Amos Fund at CFCV
• The James E. Butler Family
• Cecil and Bettye Cheves, through the Lockwood Partners Foundation
• Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, through The Moselle W. and H. Quigg Fletcher, Jr., Endowment Fund
• Betsy and Rick Covington
• The Mildred Miller Fort Foundation
• Ken Henson, through The Kenneth M. and Sue B. Henson Fund at CFCV
• Rodney and Deidre Mahone
• Marquette McKnight, through Media, Marketing…and More! Inc.
• Elizabeth Ogie, through The W. Michael & Elizabeth C. Ogie Fund at CFCV
• Barbara C. Swift, through the CLIBOCA Foundation
• Jill Tigner
• Joel Wooten, through The Wooten Family Fund at CFCV

The Georgia Trust is also acquiring The Macon Telegraph. The deal to acquire both papers from McClatchy Media closes today.

The purchase of two storied 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. The infrastructure for the Georgia Trust has been built over several years thanks to the support of several major institutional donors, including Knight Foundation, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

To mark the acquisition, the Georgia Trust will temporarily remove The Ledger-Enquirer’s digital paywall to welcome all members of the community to connect with the publication.

The Ledger-Enquirer newsroom will soon move to space at 1011 Broadway rented from CSU Properties, the charitable arm that manages real estate holdings for the benefit of Columbus State University. CSU and the Georgia Trust are in talks to bolster collaboration that will allow students to gain hands-on newsroom experience.

For McDuffie, chief portfolio officer for the National Trust, the acquisition is especially significant because it presents an opportunity to apply his work in building a durable model for financially sound, relevant local journalism to benefit his hometown. McDuffie will work closely with DuBose, who since her June 1 start as executive director of the Georgia Trust has placed heavy emphasis on building deep community connections. 

DuBose is a seasoned journalist and executive with a passion for local news. She spent nine years with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, first as a reporter and later in several digital and audience roles. She helped transform the AJC into a modern news operation, while driving digital revenue growth. She also built audience, product and content monetization teams while rising to the role of Executive Vice President of Membership over her seven years with McClatchy Media.

While the National Trust provides the investment capital and runway to transform local newsrooms, the state trusts ensure that local management drives on-the-ground operations – a role DuBose is leading in tandem with Georgia Trust newsrooms throughout the state. 

“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,” DuBose said.