Our purchase of the Atlanta Intown monthly paper (see related story) takes Reporter Newspapers into its fifth distinctive community in greater Atlanta—and second one within the city of Atlanta. Intown’s leafy neighborhoods and parks, along with iconic restaurants and stores, give it an unconventional flair, admired by a diverse blend of residents and visitors alike. For 19 years, Atlanta Intown has fostered a sense of community in a dynamic urban setting and we are delighted to welcome this popular newspaper into our growing family of local publications.
When the first two Reporter editions in Sandy Springs and Buckhead rolled off the presses in 2007, our intent was to inform residents about issues and actions affecting their homes, neighborhoods, schools, parks and business districts. That mission has since expanded to Brookhaven (where the Reporter kept residents informed during last year’s march to cityhood) and Dunwoody. Now, with the acquisition of Atlanta Intown, we will have a wider reach but with the same purpose: providing readers with fresh and engaging information about their communities.
Through your feedback, we know that readers appreciate this “hyperlocal” coverage. Often these very local matters don’t make the headlines in a large daily metropolitan newspaper or fit the sound bites of radio and television news. Nor do they always pop up in an online search (although they can usually be found at our websites, www.reporternewspapers.net and www.atlantaintownpaper.com). Yet they are the cornerstone of our content.
The local focus also ensures that a community paper will be relevant at a time when most print media is under pressure. In the words of investor Warren Buffett, who owns several newspapers: “Papers delivering reliable information to tightly bound communities…will remain viable for a long time to come.”
Also, our very local focus allows us to partner with our advertisers who can market cost-effectively to customers within a few miles of where their businesses are located. We are grateful to the hundreds of advertisers who have made Reporter Newspapers an integral part of their marketing efforts, and we look forward to working with Intown’s loyal base of advertisers to help them reach more readers and prospective customers. We encourage you to patronize them, which also helps to build economic stability in each community.
Our initial mission is fueled by the enthusiasm of a talented (and growing) staff. We care very much about what goes into all of our papers and what you think about them. Please let me know how we’re doing and what we can do better.