Community Newspapers Inc.

Community Newspapers, Inc. is an American publisher of newspapers and advertising-related publications throughout the southeastern United States. The company was formed in 1967 by Newton Jerue Babb, and is based in Athens, Georgia. It owns and operates about 25 newspapers. As of 2023, approximately ten employees work at the company's headquarters in Athens. Another 500 work at other locations.

History

Babb founded the company in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and helped it grow to control nearly 50 newspapers. On January 1, 1985, Babb and his wife (who served as president of CNI) were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Tuxedo, North Carolina. In March 1989 William J. Bresnan, Jeff DeMond, Thomas H. Wood and W.H. 'Dink' NeSmith purchased the company.

In 1999, CNI sold the ''Lake City News & Post'' and ''The Weekly Observer'' of Hemingway to Thompson Newspapers Inc. In 2006, Bresnan and DeMond were bought out and today the company is owned by Wood and NeSmith. NeSmith is a past chairman of the Georgia Telecommunications Commission and former president of the Georgia Press Association. In 2021, chief financial officer Mark Major replaced NeSmith as president and NeSmith took Wood's place as chairman of the board.

In April 1977, CNI sold the ''Tribune-Times'' in Mauldin to Tri-City Media. In March 1999, CNI agreed to acquired ''The Hartwell Sun, The News-Leader'' of Royston, and ''The Elberton Star'' (all of which were owned by Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.) in exchange for ''The Herald Independent'' of Winnsboro, ''The Dispatch-News'' of Lexington, S.C., and the ''Marion Star & Mullins Enterprise'' of Marion. Later that month, CNI bought ''The Elbert County Examiner'' and combined it with the ''Star''. In September 2000 the company purchased the ''Lake City Reporter, Nassau County Record'', the ''Palatka Daily News'', and the ''Fernandina Beach News-Leader''. Those papers were formerly owned by The New York Times Company.

By August 2001, CNI had moved its headquarters into a former Coca-Cola bottling plant built in 1928 in Athens, Georgia. As of 2003, the company owned 36 weekly and three daily newspapers, as the company was pursuing the emphasis on weeklies as a differentiation strategy. By 2004, CNI owned 174 weekly newspapers, more than any other company in the U.S. A centralized approach to printing operations ("clustering"), where the multiple newspapers are printed in the same shop, saved costs.

In 2006 CNI sold the '' Richmond County Daily Journal'' (Rockingham, N.C.), the '' Sylvania Telephone'' (Sylvania, Ga.), and ''The Citizen News'' (Edgefield, S.C.). In 2014, CNI sold the ''Dawson News & Advertiser'' (Dawsonville, Ga.). In 2019, it closed the '' Andrews Journal'' and merged it with the ''Cherokee Scout''. In 2024, CNI sold the ''Palatka Daily News.''

CNI newspapers

* ''Cherokee Scout'' of Murphy, North Carolina
* ''The Graham Star'' of Robbinsville, North Carolina
* ''Clay County Progress'' of Hayesville, North Carolina
* '' The Franklin Press'' of Franklin, North Carolina
* ''Smoky Mountain Times'' of Bryson City, North Carolina
* ''The Highlander'' of Highlands, North Carolina
* ''Mitchell News-Journal'' of Spruce Pine, North Carolina
* ''Fernandina Beach News Leader'' of Fernandina Beach, Florida
* ''Lake City Reporter'' of Lake City, Florida
* ''Nassau County Record'' of Callahan, Florida
* ''Palatka Daily News'' of Palatka, Florida
* '' The Clayton Tribune'' of Clayton, Georgia
* '' The Dahlonega Nugget'' of Dahlonega, Georgia
* ''The Elberton Star'' of Elberton, Georgia
* ''Franklin County Citizen-Leader'' of Lavonia, Georgia
* ''The Hartwell Sun'' of Hartwell, Georgia
* ''The Northeast Georgian'' of Cornelia, Georgia
* '' The Press-Sentinel'' of Jesup, Georgia
* ''Times-Courier'' of Ellijay, Georgia
* '' The Toccoa Record'' of Toccoa, Georgia
* ''Tribune & Georgian'' of St. Marys, Georgia
* ''White County News'' of Cleveland, Georgia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Community Newspapers, Inc.
Newspaper companies of the United States
Mass media companies of the United States
Privately held companies of the United States
Companies based in Athens, Georgia
Publishing companies established in 1967