Building the Trust: Meet Donnell Suggs, The Courier Herald’s new editor and publisher

Donnell Suggs fell in love with newspapers as soon as he could read. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Suggs was carrying around a newspaper by age 10, relishing in the stats and news captured in the sports pages. 

“I knew I wanted to be a newspaper reporter from a very young age,” Suggs said. “I

had no idea how to do it, but I knew I wanted to do it.”

Now, after 20 years as a journalist, Suggs will bring his passion and experience to Dublin as editor and publisher of The Courier Herald, a publication of the Georgia Trust for Local News. In this role, Suggs will lead The Courier Herald’s dedicated team, set its journalistic vision, grow the reach of its journalism and strengthen community relationships across Laurens County. 

Suggs said his approach includes delivering multi-platform, hyperlocal coverage to maximize the reach of each story and focusing on in-person community engagement to bolster civic life.

“My goal is to capture the hard work that’s already being done and elevate it,” Suggs said. “We can take local reporting and change the impact with enhanced use of social media, photography, video and more features on people who make a real difference in the community. 

“I also want to be visible around town. That means going to church, eating at local restaurants and hosting regular events. We can save this business if we make news extremely local and surround our community.”

That commitment to local journalism has been a guiding force for Suggs. With a firm conviction about his career path as a young man, Suggs attended the New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn, majored in English and wrote for the school’s newspaper. After graduating, he wanted to dive into the journalism field right away. Recognizing the ultra-competitive media landscape in New York City, Suggs moved to Georgia to work with The Atlanta Voice and The Atlanta Daily World, two of several Black newspapers in the area at the time. 

“They both immediately gave me opportunities to cover the NBA and to cover local news,” Suggs said. “Moving to Georgia gave me an opportunity to be a young person and immediately work in the business — and take off running.” 

Over the course of his rich and varied career, Suggs has worked in both corporate and news roles. From Houston County to Savannah, he has covered sports, politics, business and faith. Four years ago, he returned to The Atlanta Voice to serve as editor in chief. 

“Local newspapers have always been the best place for me to feel like I’m getting the most use of my career and my skills,” he said. 

The editor and publisher role in Dublin is one of several new positions the Georgia Trust for Local News has created to accelerate efforts to expand the reach and impact of its newsrooms’ journalism.

“I’m excited to welcome Donnell to the Georgia Trust and to Dublin,” said Cynthia DuBose, executive director of the Georgia Trust for Local News. “His work in this industry and his passion for building community amplify the Georgia Trust’s promise to be real, relevant and committed to rebuilding.”