National Trust for Local News Launches National Search for Leader in Georgia as Porter Moves to Emeritus Role

The Georgia Trust for Local News was created to prevent news deserts and stimulate creative solutions to build sustainable journalism in Middle Georgia. Those aims have been met, with the Georgia Trust now boasting a portfolio of 20 community titles, ranging from some of the state’s oldest newspapers to the startup The Macon Melody.

The National Trust for Local News’s successful launch of the Georgia Trust wouldn’t have been possible without DuBose Porter, a 40-year veteran of newspaper publishing who has served as executive director since the National Trust for Local News established the state subsidiary in 2024. Having set the Georgia Trust on a path for enduring success, Porter will retire as executive director on Feb. 2 and take on a publisher emeritus role focused on fundraising, partnerships and acquisitions. 

With Porter’s transition, the National Trust for Local News has launched a nationwide search for his successor. This new executive director will be charged with leading and advancing the Georgia Trust’s general operations and business partnerships, while driving editorial, audience and advertising strategy; product innovation; and revenue growth. Danyale Starley, currently serving as controller for the Georgia Trust, will step into the role of interim executive director beginning Feb. 2 and until a new leader is selected. 

“This transition reflects the widening scope of both our statewide mission and our ambitions for transformational reach,” said Tom Wiley, CEO of the National Trust for Local News. “Our next stage of growth at the Georgia Trust requires an energized operational leader paired with a dedicated statewide ambassador who can deepen philanthropic investment and cultivate new market opportunities. We’re pleased DuBose Porter, a longtime leading force in the community, will remain with us as we transition the Georgia Trust to its new phase of development and innovation.”  

A longtime news publisher and public servant, Porter serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Press Association, of which he’s past president, and the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. He brought his deep knowledge of the strengths and challenges facing rural newspapers to his work with the Georgia Trust as he led the organization through its founding years.

Porter’s history in community newspapers runs deep. He and Griffin Lovett first purchased The Courier Herald in his native Dublin in 1987. 

Between 1998 and 2004, Porter and Lovett purchased several neighboring weeklies, making The Courier Herald the flagship of their publishing company. Following another expansion between 2021 and 2023, the company grew to own 18 newspapers prior to its acquisition by the Georgia Trust in 2024. 

Under Porter’s tenure, the Georgia Trust for Local News publications earned 17 awards from the Georgia Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest, including the Newspaper of Excellence Award for The Courier Herald and The Albany Herald.

“We have a strong history of impactful, quality journalism here in the heart of Georgia,” said Porter. “Expanding the essential work of these newspapers strengthens communities and fosters local engagement. I believe strongly in the power of independent, community news and I’m looking forward to continuing to build investment and support for the vibrancy of our publications in Georgia’s rural communities.”

Interested candidates for the executive director position can learn more and apply at nationaltrustforlocalnews.org/careers.