Welcome to the inaugural edition of Classic City News, an independent source of local news for residents of the Athens metro community!
As many of you know, the print news industry has undergone dramatic changes in the last decade and local coverage has struggled to keep pace. The new climate requires a different approach to delivering comprehensive and in-depth reporting critical to maintaining an informed community. After 16 years of breaking major news in Athens and 33 years in journalism, I refuse to let Athens be another casualty in the corporatization of news. Classic City News’s mission statement is simple:
To bring quality, independent, local journalism and diverse voices to the metro Athens area. It is our belief that vibrant communities need the free flow of reliable local information so they can be empowered to make informed decisions about their economic, social, and political lives.
We have been intentional in the cultivation of diverse contributing writers that are reflective of the community. From artists to activists, kids worried about school safety and even to former gang members, we will bring you thought-provoking columns from every corner of the metro Athens area.
CCN will also provide a community calendar of events and government meetings, letters to the editor, guest columnists, and entertainment reviews.
The goal for Classic City News will be to provide useful, informative, accurate, and unbiased information to our readers. We believe that at its best, journalism can give voice to the voiceless and hold government and industry accountable to the people. News is an interactive process and you, the reader, play a vital role in the flow of information. We hope you will get as much gratification from reading Classic City News that we get from publishing it.
Sincerely,
Joe Johnson
Publisher
P.S.: Subsequent issues will feature more contributors and content, but we wanted to launch early to bring you these breaking local stories that were not being covered by other news outlets.