Breaking Down the Walls:

How a 100-year-old tri-weekly became a champion of innovation

Posted

Two years ago, the Forsyth County News in Cumming, Ga., had a strict rule: The staff would only post one article to Facebook per day, and it was always at 6 a.m.

Since then, the three-day per week, 100-year-old community newspaper located 30 miles north of Atlanta has transformed everything – its culture, its products and its partnerships within the community – to create a "snowball effect" of positive momentum.

In a Thursday morning session at the News Industry Summit (Sept. 14-16 in Sarasota), Publisher Vince Johnson will discuss the paper's revenue-generating video platform, award-winning "Best Of" model, strategic advertising initiatives and more about how a stale local newspaper became the winner of the 2016 Mega-Innovation Award.  

He'll discuss the process of breaking down traditional barriers within legacy media and how he's cultivating a strategy of sustainable success in community journalism.

Johnson's background is in digital innovation and video, as well as overall audience and revenue growth.  He often trains others on how to integrate digital into today's newsroom. Prior to being named publisher in January 2014, he led digital teams at the Santa Clarita (Calif.) Signal and the Statesboro (Ga.) Herald.

The Forsyth County News won the Mega-Innovation Award for newspapers at the 2016 Mega-Conference in Austin, Texas.

This year's News Industry Summit will include 24 sessions offering content for all audiences – with general sessions and breakout sessions that simultaneously target dailies, weeklies and editors.  You choose the programs that fit your specific interests. 

Here is the program

Register here by Aug. 31 before costs go up $100

Reserve your hotel room before Aug. 26

Learn more about sponsorships and exhibits

Register as a sponsor and/or exhibitor

Summit, Johnson, Forsyth County, Cumming, Mega-Innovation Award
Calendar View all