From the publisher: The AJC isn’t going anywhere ... it’s going everywhere

Four months ago, we announced the AJC would print its final newspaper on Dec. 31. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with hundreds of subscribers. I’ve received handwritten letters, postcards, photos, old newspaper clippings, and emails. I’ve done my best to reply to everyone.

It’s been remarkable to hear from families who have supported this institution for decades. In some cases, 70 or 80 years. I’ve heard about the joy people feel at dawn when they retrieve the AJC from the bottom of their driveway. I’ve heard concerns that morning coffee won’t taste quite the same without the paper in hand.

I’ve been in touch with grandparents who delight in reading the funny papers with their grandkids and with fellow Gen Xers worried their aging parents might lose an important lifeline to their community.

AJC is deeply wrapped in the history of Atlanta and its residents

Credit: Jeremy Freeman / Dagger Agency

Credit: Jeremy Freeman / Dagger Agency

Each letter I’ve received has been thought-provoking. Some have been especially moving.

Joy Johnson of Woodstock sent me an AJC clipping from 1960 when we paid tribute to her husband Jack, who held down a paper route with his brothers for 17 years before “retiring” to attend college, join the Army, and go to work for the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.

Ms. Johnson wrote, “The newspaper job provided an education outside the classroom that would benefit [him] in adulthood … Lessons learned from this part-time job laid the foundation for his future successes. He loved being a ‘paper boy.’ Jack served you as a newspaper carrier and you have served him as a lifetime subscriber. That made for a good team.”

It sure did. And it still does.

When I arrived in Atlanta in January 2023, I knew all about the AJC’s rich journalistic legacy. What I didn’t fully appreciate was how deeply the paper was wrapped up in the fabric of the city. The connection is authentic and the affinity is mutual. In many ways the relationship between this paper and the place we call home is a remnant of a bygone era, a Rockwell-style portrait of a simpler time.

Bond we have to subscribers goes beyond ink and paper

Some of you have written that you worry sunsetting the print edition might mean the AJC is going away. Far from it. The AJC isn’t going anywhere, we’re going EVERYWHERE. Embracing our digital future ensures we can pour all of our resources, our energy and our focus into our journalism and to getting it into the hands of our subscribers as efficiently as possible.

The fact is, many more people engage with the AJC’s digital products today than the printed paper. They seek us out on AJC.com and on our mobile app. They subscribe to our newsletters, download our podcasts, discover our original video on our social media channels, and show up at our live events. The AJC has been much more than just a newspaper for a long time.

The bond we have with our subscribers isn’t tied to ink and paper, but rather what’s inside. It’s about our journalism. Our people. Our service to the community. Thanks to each of you who wrote to remind me of that.

Change is hard. Especially at a moment in history when it seems everything around us is changing all at once. But change and reinvention flow through the veins of Atlanta. There is a reason the Phoenix is an iconic symbol of the city. This city has always stood fearlessly at the forefront of change. It deserves a news source, equally fearless, to write its next chapter. That’s our commitment to you, and we’re not going anywhere.

I hope you will come along with us on this next part of our journey. If you haven’t already, you can transition your subscription to digital here.

Please reach out to customercare@ajc.com with any questions. They are truly standing by to help. So am I. Please reach out to me anytime: andrew.morse@ajc.com.

Andrew Morse is the president and publisher of the AJC.