Top 10 Daily Georgia Newspapers by Circulation

Home » Top 10 Daily Georgia Newspapers by Circulation

Last Updated on April 29, 2021

Table of Contents

In today’s digital era, a great portion of readers has moved on from printed media to consume news online via social media or news websites. That said, there are still hundreds of thousands of Georgia citizens who continue to rely on newspapers as their main source of news and information. For businesses, that means there are large local audiences within your reach.

Looking for traditional advertising opportunities or a starting point for your media outreach? Find the most preferred Georgia newspapers listed below.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC)
- Serves: Atlanta, Georgia
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 174,251 Daily
- Monthly web traffic: 11.24 million
- Founded in: Started as the Constitution: 1868, Journal: 1883, Journal-Constitution: 2001
- Current owner: Cox Enterprises
- Editor: Kevin Riley kriley@ajc.com
As a part of the global conglomerate Cox Enterprises, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the leading newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. What’s more, it is the only newspaper that still publishes on a daily basis. It started in 1982 as a combination of two local publications The Atlanta Journal (afternoon paper) and The Atlanta Constitution (morning paper). Both continued to be published separately until 2001, which they finally merged into The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

AJC boats Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters prior to and after the merger. In 1989, Bill Dedman won the prize for Investigative Reporting with his exposé The Color of Money. In 1993, Mike Toner won for Explanatory Reporting for his series When Bugs Fight Back. The paper’s most recent Pulitzer was awarded to Mike Luckovich in 2006 for Editorial Cartooning, for a second time.

You can find AJC online at https://www.ajc.com or subscribe for the digital version of the paper on https://www.ajc.com/epaper.
Gwinnett Daily Post
- Serves: Gwinnett County, Georgia,
- Publishes on: Wednesday through Sunday, except Saturday
- Circulation: 59,425
- Monthly web traffic: 775.34 thousand
- Founded in: 1995
- Current owner: Southern Community Newspapers Inc.
- Editor: Todd Cline todd.cline@gwinnettdailypost.com
Gwinnett Daily Post is not only a newspaper published in Gwinnett County, Georgia, but also serves as an official legal organ of the county.

The publication stems from a previous newspaper called Gwinnett Post-Tribune. It was purchased by Gray Communications in 1995 and reformed as a daily newspaper under the name of Gwinnett Daily Post. The following year, the paper was designated as a legal organ by the local authorities. In 1997, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution filed a lawsuit against Gwinnett County with the argument that Gwinnett Daily Post should not be considered as the county’s legal organ due to manipulated subscriptions. The court ruled in favor of the Gwinnett Daily Post, and today, the paper is still authorised to publish public or legal notices and still serves as a newspaper of public record.

More recently, in 2010, Triple Crown Media, which held Gray’s newspapers, changed its name to Southern Community Newspapers Inc.

You can find Gwinnett Daily Post online at https://www.gwinnettdailypost.com.
The Macon Telegraph
- Serves: Middle Georgia
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 43,100
- Monthly web traffic: 353.47 thousand
- Founded in: 1826
- Current owner: McClatchy
- Editor: Caleb Slinkard senior editor, Blake Kaplan executive editor
The Macon Telegraph is founded in 1826 by Dr. Myron Barlett as a weekly newspaper. Throughout the years, it has changed its name several times. Today, The Telegraph is the third largest newspaper in Georgia and the main print news unit in the Central Georgia region.

After the Civil War, in 1855 the Macon Telegraph changed its owner and editor to Joseph Clisby and started a new era as a daily newspaper. Two Macon Telegraph reporters have won the Pulitzer Prize, which is the only one for the paper. In 1985 Randall Savage and Jackie Crosby received it for their investigation into academic and athletics at the University of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The website is https://www.macon.com where you can also subscribe for home delivery of the print paper or for its digital version.
Savannah Morning News
- Serves: Savannah, Georgia and parts of South Carolina
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 36,730
- Monthly web traffic: 404.31 thousand
- Founded in: 1850
- Current owner: Gannett
- Editor: Susan Catron scatron@savannahnow.com
The publication was founded on January 15, 1850, by William Tappan Thompson and John McKinney Cooper as the Daily Morning News. In 1868, it was renamed to the Savannah Morning New. Throughout the years the paper has changed owners several times, including Augusta Chronicle.

Today, the Savannah Morning News is the main daily newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. Published by Gannett, the paper serves as a leading source of news, information and investigative journalism for the area.

You can visit their website at https://www.savannahnow.com, which was the most-viewed local news source in the Savannah metropolitan area in 2013.
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
- Serves: Columbus, Georgia
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 31,889
- Monthly web traffic: 283.84 thousand
- Founded in: 1828
- Current owner: The McClatchy Company
- Editor: Ross McDuffie
Founded in 1828 as the Columbus Enquirer by Mirabeau B. Lamar, the paper received its current name in 1988. At that same time, the new owner Knight Newspapers merged the morning Columbus Enquirer and the afternoon Columbus Ledger in one daily newspaper Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Later in 2006 ,Knight Ridder was acquired by the paper’s current owner the McClatchy Company.

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer prides itself with two Pulitzer Prizes, both for Public Service. One was for the paper’s fight against the Ku Klux Klan (1926) and the second one for the paper’s attack on widespread corruption and the lax law enforcement in neighboring Phenix City, Alabama.

Visit the online version at https://www.ledger-enquirer.com.
Athens Banner-Herald
- Serves: Athens, GA and surrounding area
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 22,771
- Monthly web traffic: 387.12 thousand
- Founded in: 1832
- Current owner: Gannett
- Editor: Caitlyn Stroh-Page cstroh-page@onlineathens.com
Athens Banner-Herald is another member of the Gannett family. Its history could be traced back to 1832, when the Southern Banner newspaper was first published. Later in 1921, the Southern Banner merged with the Athens Herald and the paper received its current name Athens Banner-Herald. In 1956, it was purchased by Morris Communications.

Morris Communications also bought Athens Daily News in 1967, and later merged it to Athens Banner-Herald. Morris Communication sold the paper to GateHouse Media, which was merged to Gannett in November, 2019.

Athens Banner-Herald is a proud winner of several awards in Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press competitions, including Story of the Year honors in 2002, 2004, and 2006.

You can visit the website at https://www.onlineathens.com.
The Gainesville Times
- Serves: Hall County and Northeast Georgia
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 22,000
- Monthly web traffic: 210.20 thousand
- Founded in: 1947
- Current owner: Metro Market Media
- Editor-in-chief: Shannon Casas scasas@gainesvilletimes.com
The Gainesville Times is a daily newspaper based in Gainesville, Georgia. It publishes every day of the week, except for Saturday and services Hall County and Northeast Georgia.

When the paper was founded by Charles and Lessie Smithgall under the name The Gainesville Daily Times. Since it’s first edition on January 26, 1947, The Gainesville Times has never missed a run. Even when a fire started in the composing room in 1952, the newspaper was still printed and released on the same day.

In 1981, the Gainesville Times was purchased by Gannett Co. Inc. and later sold to Morris Multimedia Inc. Since 2018 the owner is Metro Market Media. You can find it online at https://www.gainesvilletimes.com.
The Albany Herald
- Serves: Albany and southwest Georgia
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 21,701 Weekdays and 24,820 Sundays
- Monthly web traffic: 161.44 thousand
- Founded in: 1891
- Current owner: Southern Community Newspapers, Inc.
- Editor: Carlton Fletcher carlton.fletcher@albanyherald.com
The Albany Herald was founded in 1891. Later in 1946 it was purchased by James H. Gray and established itself as the flagship newspaper of Gray Communication Systems (today known as Gray Television). In 1993, the paper became a morning publication. In 2005, all Gray’s newspapers, including also The Albany Herald and Gwinnett Daily Post, were transferred to a new company Triple Crown Media. Later, in 2010, it changed its name to Southern Community Newspapers, Inc.

The Albany Herald is distributed in metro Albany, southwest Georgia and it is available on a for free on it’s website at https://www.albanyherald.com
Augusta Chronicle
- Serves: Augusta, Georgia
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 18,177 Daily, 21,166 Sunday (2018)
- Monthly web traffic: 367.90 thousand
- Founded in: 1785
- Current owner: Gannett
- Executive Editor: John Gogick john.gogick@augustachronicle.com
Augusta Chronicle is one of the oldest newspapers in the United States that is still printed. It was founded in 1785 as Augusta Gazette a weekly newspaper. Later, the paper was renamed to The Georgia State Gazette, and till 1804, it was known as The Augusta Chronicle and Gazette of the State.

The entire archives back to its founding issue are available on the paper’s website.

Augusta Chronicle is also famous with its coverage of the Augusta Masters Tournament one of the major championships in professional golf.

You can find Augusta Chronicle’s online version at https://www.augustachronicle.com.
The Brunswick News
- Serves: Brunswick, Georgia and southeast Georgia
- Publishes on: Daily
- Circulation: 17,800
- Monthly web traffic: 239.59 thousand
- Founded in: 1902
- Current owner: Brunswick News Publishing Co.
- Managing editor: Buddy Hughes bhughes@thebrunswicknews.com
The Brunswick News is a daily newspaper based in Brunswick, Georgia. The paper serves not only the city, but also the surrounding areas of Glynn County and Golden Isles of Georgia. It publishes Monday through Saturday.

The Brunswick News first published in 1902. It was founded by brothers C.H. Leavy and L.J. Leavy and remains within the family to this day with four generations of Leavys presiding over it. This makes the Brunswick News one of the oldest family-owned newspapers in Georgia and also one of the few family controlled newspapers in the country.

The Leavys-owned company Brunswick News Publishing Co. also prints Coastal Illustrated and Golden Isles magazine. A digital version is available at https://thebrunswicknews.com.