The quiet city of Monticello, Georgia, a bit over an hour’s drive from Atlanta, has some big news.
A 25-year-old Monticello native, Evan Newton, has purchased his hometown newspaper, The Monticello News, which was founded in 1881.
The terms of the sale have not been disclosed, but it does make Newton one of the youngest newspaper owners in the nation.
Newton, who is a lifetime resident of Jasper County, Georgia, graduated from Georgia College & State University with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication. He joined The Monticello News as an intern for part of 2023, before becoming the news editor at The Covington News in a neighboring town.
Now, as Newton wrote in a recent LinkedIn post, he’s “coming home.”
“It is the greatest honor of my professional career to become the new owner of The Monticello News,” Newton said in a statement. “From growing up as an avid reader, to getting my professional start as an intern, to becoming the owner, it’s truly a full-circle moment.”
Newton told Good Good Good that the previous owner, Kathy Mudd, was looking to retire. Mudd began working at the paper in the summer of 1975, a few months after her parents, Bill and Chris Hughes, purchased the paper.
She worked alongside her parents until her mother’s death and father’s retirement, when she purchased the paper from him in the late 1990s.
Now, she’s ready to hand it over to someone new.
“She had courted my interest in buying the paper a few times, but we both thought that now was the right time,” Newton told Good Good Good. He will now be the publisher and editor of the paper, in addition to its owner.
“I’m excited for this opportunity for The News,” Mudd said in a statement. “Evan appreciates and respects the value of the print edition, while recognizing that in this digital age, he must have something to offer those who prefer electronic news. Look for big things from this young man!”
Newton added that the growing trend of local news consolidation was a major factor in his move to purchase. In fact, over 50% of the roughly 670 daily newspapers in the United States are now owned by a small handful of large parent companies.
“The paper I worked at was actually just purchased by a large conglomerate from independent ownership,” Newton said.
“While I think the new owners are great people, it certainly made me look in the mirror about where local journalism could be headed. I knew that I had an opportunity to do something about this instead of [sitting] on the sidelines. It was at this point I knew I had to make this move.”
The Monticello News prints a weekly paper and offers 24/7 online coverage. It also serves as the official legal organ of Monticello, Shady Dale, Hillsboro, and Jasper County. That kind of local fixture, one that is 145 years old, requires local leadership, Newton said.
“For me, local ownership is so important in community journalism. I think that local ownership aspect is what drives a larger trust in local media as opposed to the mainstream media,” he said.
“Our readers can find me at the grocery store, or see me at a local event and ask questions or talk about what’s happening around town. You don’t get that with a large ownership group.”
Newton acknowledges his youth but is eager to contribute to the growth of the paper’s digital offerings in a way younger generations uniquely can.
“Priority No. 1 on the editorial side is to get up to speed digitally. While I think the print product has a strong shelf life, we live in a digital age now,” Newton said of his plans for the future.
“Upping our website and social media presence is key. I also am ushering in the paper’s first redesign in well over two decades. This will include more community-based stories, a larger emphasis on local sports, and more interactive elements that keeps readers engaged.”
Regardless, he said, the big change has been “a bit surreal.”
“I’ve only been in the journalism industry for three years, and I would’ve never dreamed about anything like this. I’m humbled to have made history in an industry I love so much,” he said.
“As important as the accomplishment is, it’s in vain if we aren’t serving our readers, subscribers, and advertisers. It’s my mission every single day to ensure we deliver the best quality product for them.”
Newton’s LinkedIn post announcing the news received widespread attention from journalists and news readers across the country, and he said it made him “even more fired up and excited.”
“Filling the shoes of the Hughes family will be no easy task, and I am incredibly humbled to be taking over for a family that has embodied the true definition of community journalism,” Newton said in a statement.
“But make no mistake about it, I’m here to make sure that The News not only survives, but thrives for years to come.”
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Featured Image: Courtesy of Evan Newton
