The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer purchased by Georgia Trust for Local News

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer has a new owner. The Georgia Trust for Local News, a subsidiary of the nonprofit National Trust for Local News, announced today that it purchased The Ledger-Enquirer from McClatchy Media.

The acquisition of The Ledger-Enquirer, Columbus’s leading newspaper, gives the Georgia Trust control of 21 news organizations across Middle, West and South Georgia.

“The Ledger-Enquirer is a community asset worth revitalizing and growing,” said Cynthia DuBose, executive director of the Georgia Trust for Local News. “We are committed to building a modern and vibrant media organization that will provide quality local news and information for years to come.”

The acquisition was funded by a grant from The Local News and Information Fund at the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley. More than a dozen individuals contributed through the Community Foundation to support the acquisition.

“The Community Foundation exists to strengthen this community,” Community Foundation President/CEO Betsy Covington said. “We believe it’s critically important that our residents have a strong, trusted, local news source for in-depth coverage of the issues affecting our home. … We’ve hoped for a day like this — and we’re thrilled that so many generous donors have come alongside us to contribute to the Fund and make this transformation possible.”

The trust will temporarily remove The Ledger-Enquirer’s paywall to invite community members to connect with the publication.

The Ledger-Enquirer will soon move to a space owned by Columbus State University and its charitable arm, CSU Properties. The new office will be at 1011 Broadway in downtown Columbus.

The Georgia Trust also acquired The Macon Telegraph from McClatchy this week. That acquisition was funded by the Peyton Anderson Foundation.

The Telegraph will merge with The Macon Melody, a community newsroom started by the Georgia Trust in 2024 with funding from the Knight Foundation. The Telegraph and The Melody will operate as one news source under The Telegraph brand.

The Ledger-Enquirer acquisition was led by Ross McDuffie, the chief portfolio officer of the National Trust and a Columbus native. McDuffie will work closely with DuBose, who joined the Georgia Trust in her executive director role June 1.

Individual donors for the acquisition included:

• Aflac, through The Aflac Fund at CFCV

• Kathelen and Dan Amos, through The Kathelen V. and Daniel P. Amos Fund at CFCV

• The James E. Butler Family

• Cecil and Bettye Cheves, through the Lockwood Partners Foundation

• Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley, through The Moselle W. and H. Quigg Fletcher, Jr., Endowment Fund

• Betsy and Rick Covington

• The Mildred Miller Fort Foundation

• Ken Henson, through The Kenneth M. and Sue B. Henson Fund at CFCV

• Rodney and Deidre Mahone

• Marquette McKnight, through Media, Marketing…and More! Inc.

• Elizabeth Ogie, through The W. Michael & Elizabeth C. Ogie Fund at CFCV

• Barbara C. Swift, through the CLIBOCA Foundation

• Jill Tigner

• Joel Wooten, through The Wooten Family Fund at CFCV

The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer began in 1828 with the launch of The Enquirer. The Ledger was founded in 1886. The two papers merged in 1988. Under Georgia Trust for Local News ownership, The Ledger-Enquirer and The Telegraph will transition to local leadership for the first time in two decades.

This story was originally published July 15, 2026 at 9:48 AM.