Our team recently spoke with two influential editors in Atlanta: Dean Anason of The Atlanta Business Chronicle and Leroy Chapman of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. We also toured the AJC’s impressive new headquarters in Midtown. Both publications remain powerful regional news sources. Here are some learnings from our conversations:

• Both publications recognize the fast-changing media landscape and are investing in new ways of sharing the news to meet subscribers where they are. For instance, the Atlanta Business Chronicle recently launched a podcast called Georgia Business Minds, while the AJC continues to optimize its mobile news app.
• Story performance is being closely measured – top performing stories get better placements online and are more likely to be featured in newsletters, on social media and in print. 
• While breaking news is important, they like to follow those stories with longer form articles that show depth and perspective and provide expertise on the “why and the how.”
• They do A/B testing with headlines, so if you notice a headline change, they are testing to see what generates the most eyeballs. 
• While most online stories are behind paywalls, major news that is critical to the community is freely accessible.

The Chronicle is primarily tracking stories about M&A and PE-type investments; office building markdowns (including the opportunistic investment side); low retail vacancy; new construction; the impact of tariffs and economic uncertainty; energy demand; housing; restaurant openings and closure trends; manufacturing news; nonprofit fundraising; and federal grants.  

The AJC is focused on community impact storytelling, especially hyperlocal stories. In fact, they’re opening bureaus in Savannah, Macon and Augusta to expand their physical presence in these areas. They are on a mission to be “the most essential and engaging newspaper in Atlanta and the South,” and they’re hiring more than 100 journalists, data miners and other positions to support this vision.

In addition to its coverage across Atlanta and throughout the state, the AJC is looking to be a national authority on key topics such as film and entertainment, music, Black culture (UATL) and Southern food. The AJC’s highest performing stories are often about the airport, real estate, tariffs and the economy.

We are grateful to Leroy and Dean for spending time with our team at The Wilbert Group. Our firm was founded in 2009 by former journalists, so media relations has always been central to our business. We also have a history of converting former journalists into PR pros – like our EVP Mark Braykovich (formerly the business editor at the AJC) and new hire Jake Stansell (a sports reporter for TV stations across the country).

Newsrooms are inherently dynamic places -- people come and go, beats change, priorities change and technology evolves. That's why we are committed to asking the questions necessary to best understand what’s happening in newsrooms right now – so that we can best help our clients navigate the media landscape and tell their stories.