The Bryan County News, the area’s long-standing source for local news and event information, will reduce its printing schedule beginning the first week of October. As we transition to a one-edition-per-week frequency, readers can expect the Wednesday and Saturday publications’ content and features to be rolled into a larger edition that will come out each Thursday.
In addition to the revamped midweek issue, we will put a renewed focus on our online and digital products, especially our main website, bryancountynews.net. The new features will include more event-based video clips and enhanced breaking-news coverage. We will continue to utilize social-media outlets, such as the News’ Facebook and Twitter accounts, to reach readership segments who prefer to receive their news in non-traditional formats.
The Bryan County News also is pleased to welcome Hollie Moore Barnidge as its new managing editor. Barnidge has served as editor of the Coastal Courier, the Bryan County News’ sister paper in Hinesville, for more than four years and is excited about taking on a new regional role.
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Barnidge earned a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She began her media career over a decade ago as a Dow Jones Newspaper Fund copy-editing intern at the Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News. Barnidge has worked at newspapers of various sizes in several states, including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Island Packet in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and the Savannah Morning News.
"I’m excited we’ve decided to increase our investment in Bryan County media operations. In addition to our printed-newspaper presence, our heightened digital efforts will provide our faithful readers, advertisers and supporters with plenty of timely, hyper-local content and communication opportunities," Barnidge said.
Jeff Whitten, who has been with the News since October 2006, will continue with the paper as the senior writer.
Bryan County News publisher Mark Griffin also is eager to move ahead with the transition, which he said will allow the paper to deliver more news pages to readers on Thursdays and to post local news on bryancountynews.net in a timely fashion.
"Our website continues to receive an average of 10,000 total page views each week, and that number will only grow," Griffin said. "This change in publication frequency will allow us to provide local news and information in a financially sustainable model for years to come. The Bryan County News has been this county’s source for local news, sports and information for many years, and we are committed to continuing in that capacity."
The News remains dedicated to the local community as we implement our plans and adapt to the changing local-news climate.
Like many businesses in our region, the Bryan County News has weathered the economic downturn and troop fluctuations that impacted the local community. However, we remain steadfast in our mission to educate the public, serve as a government watchdog and honor our readers’ trust by adhering to the highest ethical standards.
"The role of local-news organizations to deliver accurate and fair news of importance to citizens is more crucial than ever," Griffin said. "As our local community continues to reinvent itself, we intend to uphold our duty to deliver news and information to meet the needs of our audience."