As executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association, the
state’s largest representative of city governments, I have seen
firsthand how newspapers impact cities. To put it simply:
Newspapers are economic development. First, and most basically,
most newspaper offices are located in downtowns. They employ
people who, hopefully, eat and shop at other downtown
businesses. People come to newspaper offices to place ads, share
their news and buy their newspapers. So newspapers drive traffic
into the downtown area. They also cover events like ribbon
cuttings and business expansions that help local businesses.
Think about where you live. If you live in one of Georgia’s many
smaller towns, it’s likely your newspaper is a once or twice-
weekly publication. If that newspaper didn’t exist, who would
cover these events? Would the closest large daily newspaper
drive to your town to cover the grand opening of a Mom and Pop
store? Probably not. Your community newspaper, however, does
cover those events and that coverage