The Georgia Trust for Local News, a group of local newspapers covering communities across Middle Georgia, announced that Cynthia DuBose, a longtime digital media executive who worked at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) and McClatchy, will become its executive director on June 1.
The National Trust for Local News, which owns the Georgia Trust, announced the hire today. DuBose will lead the state’s largest independent newspaper company, overseeing 20 community papers across Middle Georgia, as well as The Macon Melody, a local media startup launched in 2024 with support from the Knight Foundation.
A career built on digital transformation
DuBose spent nine years at the AJC, where she rose to senior editor of the digital presentation team and helped move the newsroom toward a digital-first model. She then spent nearly seven years at McClatchy Media, a national chain that owns 29 local outlets, including the Miami Herald and The Telegraph in Macon.
Her love of journalism was fostered as an undergraduate at Spelman College, where a professor steered her toward the student paper, The Spelman Spotlight, which she later edited. DuBose began her career at Newsday, her hometown paper on Long Island, after earning a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
“I fell in love with the opportunity to be able to tell stories and meet people and learn something different every day,” DuBose said.
DuBose replaces interim Executive Director Danyale Starley, who is returning to her role as the Georgia Trust’s controller. Starley took the interim post in January, following the retirement of DuBose Porter, a longtime figure in Georgia newspaper publishing, who serves as publisher emeritus and focuses on fundraising, partnerships, and acquisitions.
Tom Wiley, CEO of the National Trust for Local News, said DuBose’s background in audience growth and digital product development was a draw. “Cynthia’s talents in building new digital products that drive audience growth, her hands-on leadership and mentorship experience, and her focus on executing bold ideas to strengthen local news pair well with our leadership team’s energy, direction, and style,” he said.
“Throughout my career, in every position I’ve held, I have always valued bringing coverage to local communities,” DuBose said. “I see tremendous opportunity for the Georgia Trust moving forward and will work tirelessly to ensure Middle Georgians have access to credible, community-centered news and information.”
The National Trust for Local News is a nonprofit that serves as a primary news source for roughly 6 million people across Maine, Georgia, and Colorado.
DuBose completed the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism’s Executive Program in News Leadership and Innovation in 2022 and will continue to serve as lead coach of the globally renowned program.
Rough Draft editorial intern Ward Sutlive contributed to this story.
