In October 2021, The Oglethorpe Echo, a 148-year-old weekly newspaper that is the only source of news for Oglethorpe County, Georgia, was about to shut down, leaving a countywide news desert. In a matter of weeks, the paper was donated to an established nonprofit thanks to the quick intervention of alumnus Dink NeSmith and Grady College Dean Charles Davis. Then, journalism students from the University of Georgia took over all editorial operations for this local endeavor. What developed was a working local news organization that also serves as a community journalism learning lab. In its first year, the paper was redesigned and grew in size, doubling subscriptions and adding seven digital products. Our endeavor has caught national attention for its innovative methodology but also how mutually beneficial the framework has become — a rural county has gained a quality news organization with more focus on coverage that is diverse and digital, while our University of Georgia students have grown to understand and love the power and purpose of community journalism.

This sort of innovative solution is not without cost, though. We need to provide stipends for students for their work, costs of commuting, and other programming costs. If you support our commitment to local community journalism with compelling, multiplatform storytelling, then please donate today.