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Tags: atlanta journal-constitution | newspapers | print | digital news | media | cox enterprises

Atlanta Journal-Constitution to End Print Edition After 157 Years

By    |   Thursday, 28 August 2025 12:48 PM EDT

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday said it will end its print edition at the close of the year, completing its shift to a fully digital news operation after more than 150 years in print.

The final newspaper will appear Dec. 31, a move that accelerates the outlet's digital transformation and caps more than two years of investment by owner Cox Enterprises, which has poured millions into expanding reporting, technology, and new products, the publication said in its announcement Thursday.

"We will begin the new year as a fully digital organization, committed, as always, to being the most essential and engaging news source for the people of Atlanta, Georgia, and the South," Andrew Morse, who became president and publisher in 2023, wrote in a letter to subscribers.

He added that the change ensures the AJC can reach audiences where they now consume news, online, and on mobile devices, rather than in print.

The company's goal is to reach 500,000 digital subscribers. It now has about 115,000, including 40,000 print readers.

Morse said subscriptions are on pace to rise 25% to 35% this year, even as growth has stalled across much of the industry.

Morse said print remains profitable but is no longer central to the business.

"This decision now is the best thing we can do in order to make sure the AJC is as relevant for the next 157 years as it has been for the last," he said.

Speaking to staff in a town hall, he said the decision was not driven by short-term cost-cutting.

"The pressure on the business is only accelerating," he said. "The fact that we are growing despite those pressures is a testament to the hard work we've done, but we have to put all our effort into the future."

Since 2023, the AJC has expanded its footprint with new bureaus in Athens, Macon, and Savannah, launched a video content team, and grown UATL, a digital platform dedicated to Atlanta's Black culture.

The paper also moved its headquarters back to Midtown after years in the suburbs.

He noted that changes in technology and media habits also influenced the decision. Search traffic has declined as artificial intelligence reshapes how readers find information, while social media referrals have slowed.

Editor-in-Chief Leroy Chapman said the shift is about sustaining the newspaper's "mission."

"This is about continuing to build a newsroom that delivers essential journalism smarter, more sustainably, and that serves communities across generations in a rapidly evolving digital landscape," he said.

Ending the print version of the newspaper will cut about 30 full- and part-time jobs tied to design and distribution.

The AJC will continue publishing an e-paper, a digital facsimile of the print edition, on its website, app, and in subscribers' inboxes, and plans to launch a new app this fall.

Cox Enterprises, which bought the Journal in 1939 and the Constitution in 1950 before merging them in 2001, said it fully supports the transition.

"Journalism is critical to our community and society — and so is the way we produce it," Cox CEO Alex Taylor said in a statement.

He added that the change will reduce paper, plastic, water, and carbon use while channeling more resources into reporting. "I'm proud of our team for making these decisions, as much as I will miss the nostalgia of seeing the paper in my driveway every morning."

Sandy Fitzgerald

Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics. 

© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


US
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday said it will end its print edition at the close of the year, completing its shift to a fully digital news operation after more than 150 years in print.
atlanta journal-constitution, newspapers, print, digital news, media, cox enterprises
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2025-48-28
Thursday, 28 August 2025 12:48 PM
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