Andrew Morse will step down as president and publisher of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution at the end of June, according to a report by the AJC.
Morse announced Monday during a staff meeting that his final day will be June 30. He will be succeeded by Paul Curran, a longtime media executive at the AJC’s parent company, Cox Enterprises.
The AJC reported that Morse, who joined the organization in January 2023, led an aggressive effort to shift the 158-year-old newspaper into a fully digital media company. During his tenure, the newsroom expanded its video and podcast reporting while increasing coverage of politics, business, and statewide issues.
The newspaper also returned to the City of Atlanta, opening a new headquarters at the corner of Peachtree and 14th streets in Midtown after 14 years in the Central Perimeter area near Sandy Springs.
Morse also oversaw the controversial decision to phase out the newspaper’s print edition last year as part of the organization’s broader “digital-first” strategy. The transition came alongside multiple rounds of layoffs, including staff reductions earlier this year, as the company redirected resources toward digital growth efforts.
In an interview with the AJC, Morse said family considerations drove his decision to leave. He pointed to the newsroom’s embrace of a 24/7 digital approach and its accountability journalism as major accomplishments during his leadership. The organization also earned its first Peabody Award for video coverage of federal immigration enforcement activity in Georgia.
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According to the AJC, the company has grown its digital subscriber base to more than 100,000, although its original goal of reaching 500,000 digital subscribers by the end of 2026 has been pushed back to the end of the decade.
Morse cited changing media habits, artificial intelligence’s impact on web traffic, and the high cost of technology investments as factors slowing growth.
Curran, who begins June 29, most recently served as senior vice president and general manager of Cox Media, the advertising sales division of Cox Enterprises. He previously held leadership roles with Cox Media Group’s television stations and its Orlando operations.
“Paul is exactly the right leader for the AJC’s future,” said Shereta Williams, executive vice president of Growth Operations at Cox Enterprises. “He knows how to grow a modern media business while staying grounded in what matters most: supporting journalists, serving the community, and earning readers’ trust. We’re thrilled to welcome him in this position.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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