New Community Newspaper in Macon
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A newspaper highlighting positive stories out of Bibb County is coming to a mailbox near you or you may have already received one! Macon Community News debuted its first issue this month and the family behind it hopes it will give everyone an opportunity to write and share their voice.
It started off as an idea to help a friend, but it turned into a family business. By day, Doug and Lauren Deal work as a software engineer and lawyer, but by night they gather around their dinning room table to create the next issue of Macon Community News.
“Everyone has their activity that they like to do as a couple and for us its become this business,” Lauren said.
A business that focuses on sharing good news out of Bibb County. And even in this digital age, Doug hopes readers will pick up this free paper because of the content.
“Part of what I think the paper can do is educate Maconites about all the great things that go on here that they don’t know about,” he said.
Doug is in charge of the layout, while his wife handles the writing. They say they are always looking for guest columnists.
“We want it to be a place where citizens can feel that anybody can be a writer,” Lauren said.
With the first issue hot off the press and mailed to more than 10,000 households, the Deal family says they are already getting great feedback from the community.
“There’s nothing better than having someone feel better because of something that we wrote, that definitely makes it worthwhile,” Lauren said.
A worthwhile venture that doesn’t come cheap. For now, the Deals are paying for the paper out of their own pocket.
“We were able to fund about a third of the cost with ads this edition and we hope to eventually inch up and break even,” Doug said. “Of course we would like to turn a profit and what better way to earn a profit than helping the community.”
But despite those costs, their mission is clear.
“In the end what we want is a product that entertains people, that is highly readable and enjoyable that lifts people’s spirits,” Lauren said.
The Deals hope to eventually expand their readership into surrounding counties and send their paper to 30,000 homes. They also post digital versions of their stories on the paper’s website.
If you’re interested in writing for the paper, you can email Lauren at editor@maconcommunitynews.com.
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