120 Broadway Macon, GA 31201-3444 478-744-4200 www.macon.com The Paper The Community

The Paper

Mission Statement/Motto: The Telegraph will be pre-eminent in news, information, and advertising in the middle Georgia region. We will do this by developing our own high-value products and services to complement our traditional business. In middle Georgia, we will grow reader and advertiser share every year, and we will have the dominant share of local online consumer and advertiser business. We will grow revenue and be good stewards of our resources in order to grow profit. Our historic mission, to inform the citizens of middle Georgia, is a privilege, responsibility and source of competitive strength. Our commitment to our customers and to the people of The Telegraph is fundamental to our success.

Founded: In 1826, three years after the Georgia General Assembly chartered Macon, Dr. Myron Bartlett founded The Telegraph as a weekly newspaper. The first edition of The Telegraph appeared on Nov. 1, 1826. In 1855, Joseph Clisby became owner and editor of The Telegraph and saw it emerge as a daily newspaper after the Civil War. The Macon Telegraph merged with The Messenger in 1869. The News was founded by 16-year-old Jerome Pound with an investment of $8 in 1884. W.T. Anderson published and edited The Macon Telegraph until 1940, and it was during this period that The Macon Telegraph and The Macon News were merged into The Macon Telegraph Publishing Company.

In February 1969, The Macon Telegraph Publishing Company became part of Knight Newspapers, Inc., which later merged with Ridder Publications to become Knight Ridder. In 1990, the paper was redesigned and renamed The Macon Telegraph. In December 1997, The Macon Telegraph acquired The (Warner Robbins) Daily Sun, The Buyers' Guide and The Byron Gazette. In February of 2003, The Macon Telegraph absorbed the Warner Robbins Daily Sun customers as part of an expanded Houston edition that was a component of the newspaper's product improvement plan. In 2005, the paper became The Telegraph, and The Telegraph Houston Edition was replaced by The Houston Peach. In June of 2006, The Telegraph was acquired by The McClatchy Company with McClatchy's purchase of Knight Ridder. Today, The Telegraph also produces The Houston Peach, The Buyers' Guide, Bibb Extra and Robbins Rev-Up.

Key Executives:
George McCanless, President and Publisher
Sherrie Marshall, Executive Editor
David Robbins, Vice President, Advertising
Conna Hardy, Chief Financial Officer

General Hiring Contact: Human Resources Specialist Brenda Cope at 478-744-4351 or e-mail resume@macontel.com

Distinction: 1985 Pulitzer Prize; the first Knight Ridder newspaper printed entirely on a Flexographic press; winner of the Knight Ridder print quality excellence award in 1991 and from 1993 through 1997, when the award was discontinued.

Market: The Macon-Warner Robins area is a self-contained regional market located in middle Georgia on I-75, an hour and fifteen minutes from Atlanta. This market has a healthy retail environment with a balance of government, industrial and white-collar employment. Robins Air Force Base is a major area employer, with approximately 27,000 employees. Robins' net fiscal impact on the Georgia economy exceeded $4.2 billion in 2004.

A major mall expansion in the late 1990s brought additional major retail accounts to the market as well as 50-plus new smaller retailers. Retail growth continued in 2001 with the opening of Eisenhower Crossing, which includes more than 40 retail establishments and several national retailers in more than 500,000 square feet of retail space. Retail growth continues in Macon and Warner Robins. Warner Robins has seen a huge growth spurt in population and retail areas. In April of 2006, Bass Pro Shops opened a 420,000-square-foot distribution center at the intersection of Interstate 75 and Bass Road. Following the distribution center, in October of 2006, the 120,000-square-foot Bass Pro Shops Sportsman's Retail Center opened. Both are anchors for the 207-acre development featuring an additional 600,000 square feet of upscale retail, restaurants and hotels. For 2008, expansion will continue in the area with the proposed 750,000-square-foot regional shopping and entertainment center being built at Riverside Drive at Interstate 75.

Circulation Area: Total market circulation area consists of 31 counties, including a 24-county Retail Trading Zone located in middle Georgia

Customers: The Telegraph is a regional newspaper serving middle Georgia. The seven-county core newspaper market provides excellent news and advertiser coverage with 125,460 adults reading on a typical weekday and 168,000 on a normal Sunday edition. The remaining 24 counties add more than 30,189 readers to the daily total and nearly another 34,823 to the Sunday readership figure. The median age of the weekday reader is 50; for the Sunday reader it is 48. The median household incomes of readers are $45,500 for weekday editions and $43,500 for Sunday.

Site: The Telegraph is produced daily in a 120,000-square-foot building in downtown Macon. The 130-year-old eagle statue that once sat atop a previous Telegraph location now proudly adorns the foyer and has come to symbolize the newspaper. The physical plant is near the Ocmulgee River and convenient to interstates 75 and 16.

Readership: 155,649 daily; 202,823 Sunday (2006 ABC Audit)

Circulation: 59,865 daily; 78,011 Sunday (2006 ABC Audit)

Size: 34 pages daily average; 38 pages Sunday average

Single-Copy Sales: 17% daily single copy; 25% Sunday single copy

Production: Motter Flexographic press installed in 1989

Color: 5 pages daily; 11 pages Sunday

Newspaper Website: www.macon.com

Average Monthly Page Views/Unique Visitors: 4.9 million page views; 340,000 unique visitors

Employees: 217 full-time employees; 42 part-time employees

Newsroom Staff: 57.8 full- and part-time journalists

Bureaus: Houston Peach Bureau located in Warner Robbins

Major Awards:

Pulitzer Prize
1985	Randall Savage and Jackie Crosby won for their in-depth examination of academics and athletics at the University of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology
2007	Georgia Associated Press Awards Heather S. Duncan, second place for business writing Keich Whicker, second place for beat reporting Woody Marshall, second place for spot news photo Dylan Wilson, first place for sports action photo Grant Blankenship, second place for picture story Beau Cabell, third place for picture story Beau Cabell, third place for photo illustration Grant Blankenship, second place for photo portfolio Beau Cabell, third place for photo portfolio Georgia Press Association Awards Grant Blankenship, first place for news photograph Grant Blankenship, first place in photo essay Dylan Wilson, first place for sports photograph Jason Vorhees, third place for sports photograph Julie Hubbard, second place for education coverage Woody Marshall, second and third place for spot news photo Michael A. Lough, third place for sports writing Charles E. Richardson, third place for serious column Staff, third place for daily newspaper website Staff, third place for local news coverage Staff, third place for editorial page Georgia Sportswriters Association Awards Sarah Meinecke, first place for sports news story on deadline Jonathan Heeter, second place for outdoors writing Jonathan Heeter, first place for amateur, nonscholastic sports Staff, third place for sports section Staff, second place for sports section layout
2006	Georgia Associated Press Awards Nick Oza, first place for photo illustration Nick Oza, first place for sports feature photo Nick Oza, first place for photo portfolio Nick Oza, second and third place for picture story Jason Vorhees, second place for feature photo Beau Cabell, third place for spot news photo Gene Rector, third place for beat reporting Heather Duncan, third place for Freedom of Information Georgia Press Association Better Newspaper Contest Charles E. Richardson, first place for sports column Rodney Manley, second place for religion coverage Ed Grisamore, second place for humorous column Nick Oza, second place for photo essay Beau Cabell, second place for spot news photo Charles E. Richardson, third place for serious column Staff, third place for layout and design Staff, third place for page one Nick Oza, third place for feature photograph Nick Oza, third place for sports photo Nick Oza, third place for sports feature photo

Major Advertisers: Macy's, Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, Kroger, Publix, CVS, Dick's Sporting Goods, HH Gregg, Rooms To Go, Eckerd, Kohl's, Academy Sports and Outdoors

Niche Publications:

• "Belle"
"Belle" is a monthly magazine for and about the women in middle Georgia. Each month, the publication highlights the trends, fashions and personalities. "Belle" also features entertaining ideas such as how to plan a party and recipes for the perfect dinner. "Belle's" fashion pages show off the latest that can be discovered at local boutiques and gives readers ways to wear these with style.
• "Southern Style"
"Southern Style" features ideas and tips for creating the home and garden of readers' dreams with comfortably gracious rooms and furnishings and gardens bursting with color.





• The Brief
The Brief is a monthly business tab distributed to business leaders in Central Georgia. From financial tips to book reviews, The Brief serves as a resource for businesspeople in the area. Each month features an influential business owner or executive making an impact in the community and on the way business is done.

Community Publications:

• Middle Georgia Guidebook
The Middle Georgia Guidebook is The Telegraph's comprehensive guide to life in middle Georgia. The Guidebook contains information on community, work, religion and sports.
• Forecast
Get the new year off to a great start by utilizing the power of Forecast. This annual business and industry guide features eight themed sections from automotive to health to the middle Georgia marketplace.

Well-known Newsroom Personalities: Columnist Ed Grisamore; editorial columnist Charles E. Richardson; online producer Liz Fabian; writer Joe Kovac

Community Involvement: MidSummer Macon Arts Camp; Georgia Music Hall of Fame; Georgia Sports Hall of Fame; Macon Symphony Orchestra; Cherry Blossom Festival; Museum of Aviation; Tubman Museum; Museum of Arts & Sciences; United Way; Macon Chamber of Commerce; Hay House; Historic Macon; American Cancer Society; Grand Opera House; Warner Robbins Chamber of Commerce; Convention and Visitors Bureau; Home Builders Association of Middle Georgia and Warner Robbins; Georgia National Fair; Georgia State Fair; Macon Civic Club; Junior League of Macon Academic Sponsorships' Golden Eagle Awards for high school seniors selected as the best in their field from the middle Georgia area

Special Project: The annual Macon Miracles project profiles the special needs of selected community families. After promoting the need, The Telegraph collects donations and distributes them to those families during the holiday season.

The Community

Market: The Macon-Warner Robins Combined Statistical Area consists of seven counties -- Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, and Twiggs -- and two cities -- Macon and Warner Robins. Macon is located on Georgia's fall line; the Piedmont Plateau slopes northward to the mountains and the coastal plains stretch southward. Macon is a charming mid-sized city, rich in history and traditional Southern hospitality. There are many examples of pre-Civil War architecture. Seven historic districts and 150 individual sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Warner Robins is home to Robins Air Force Base, the largest industrial complex site in the state.






Location: Macon is 75 miles south of Atlanta, near the geographic center of the state. Both the Georgia coast and the north Georgia mountains are only two-and-a-half hours away. Warner Robins is located 17 miles south of Macon on I-75. A population of more than 390,000 in a 30-mile radius; four major seaports within four hours truck travel time; international airfreight facilities only 75 minutes away; two railroads and the largest rail switching center on the East Coast make Macon an ideal location.

Transportation: Interstates 75 and 16 intersect in Macon. The Middle Georgia Regional Airport is located in Macon, and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is one hour and 15 minutes by car -- shuttle service is available. The Greyhound Co. and Macon Transit Authority provide ground transportation to and around Macon. Macon Transit Authority also has started a trolley system. The trolleys have been offering tours in the downtown Macon area since 1999. The tour consists of all of the major historical sites, such as the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, the Hay House and the Tubman Museum. There are three trolleys -- MITSI, Miss Molly and Sweet Melissa -- and each holds up to 39 passengers. The trolley tour is 25 cents per person on weekdays.

Area Population: 379,669

Area Households: 144,235

Area Household Growth Rate: Estimated household growth rate is 1.085 percent; projected population for 2010 is 402,950; projected population for 2015 is 429,212.

Education: 55% high school graduates or less; 24% some college; 22% a college degree or higher

Ethnic Makeup: 60% Caucasian; 36% African American; 4% all other

Median Age: 35.4

Average Income: $38,848

Median Home Value: $87,721

Average Rent: $452 for a two-bedroom apartment

Climate: Middle Georgia has mild winters and hot, hazy summers. The coolest months are January and February with lows around 35 degrees and highs around 60 degrees. The warmest months are July and August with lows around 70 and highs around 92.

Major Employers/Industries: Robins Air Force Base; Medical Center of Central Georgia; Blue Bird Corp.; GEICO Insurance

Major Retailers: Macy's, Belk, Dillard's, JCPenney, Bass Pro Shops, HH Gregg, Lowe's, Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Home Depot, Staples

Higher Learning: Mercer University; Macon State College; Wesleyan College; Fort Valley State University; Georgia College and State University

Culture: Macon Symphony Orchestra; MidSummer Macon; Museum of Arts and Sciences; Harriet Tubman African-American Museum; Theater Macon; Macon Little Theater; Macon City Auditorium; the Macon Coliseum; Warner Robins Little Theatre; The Grand Opera House; Macon Arts Alliance; Middle Georgia Arts Association

Sports: Macon is home to the Macon Music, a baseball team of the independent South Coast League. The Macon Music play at the historic Luther Williams Field. Major league professional baseball, football, basketball and hockey teams are just 75 miles away in Atlanta. NCAA sporting activities are easily accessible in Atlanta at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets) and in Athens at the University of Georgia (Bulldogs).

Major Annual Events:

• The annual Cherry Blossom Festival, recognized as one of the top 100 events in North America, features more than 500 activities, including a ball, parade, street party, arts-and-crafts show, international food festival and hot air balloon race.

Paddleboats and reflections at the Georgia National Fair.
• The Georgia State Fair has been held in Macon since 1851 and has a long tradition of family entertainment ranging from its agricultural and artistic craft roots to its carnival midway atmosphere.
• Since its beginnings in 1990, The Georgia National Fair in Perry has been designated as a top event for celebrating youth, agriculture and heritage.
• First Night Macon is a family-oriented arts festival held in Macon every New Year's Eve. It features many concerts, dances, art shows, theatrical performances at different venues and galleries around the downtown area, and a grand finale of fireworks at midnight.
• Macon has a rich African American cultural heritage. Each year in April, Macon holds the Pan-African Festival featuring parades, African and Caribbean musical performances, African dancing, films, food festival, cultural shows and exhibitions.
• A celebration of Macon's original Native American heritage, a festival is held every September at Ocmulgee National Monument. Representatives from diverse backgrounds of Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, Seminoe and other nations come to share stories, exhibit native art, perform dances and play live music.

A dancer takes a breather during the Ocmulgee Indian Festival.

Tourist Attractions: Ocmulgee National Monument, largest archaeological development east of the Mississippi; Sydney Lanier Cottage, birthplace of the great American poet; Hay House, Italian revival mansion built in the 1850s; Cannonball House, struck by a cannonball during the federal attack of 1853; Rose Hill Cemetery; Luther Williams Field, second-oldest ballpark in the United States.; Georgia Music Hall of Fame; Georgia Sports Hall of Fame; Tubman African-American Museum; Museum of Arts and Sciences; Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins

Recreation: Lake Tobesofkee offers fishing, swimming, boating and camping; two public tennis centers with 36 courts; an 18-hole municipal golf course; numerous private golf clubs; and eight public recreation centers

Claim to Fame: More cherry trees than Washington, D.C., and home to the largest copper dome.





Famous Citizens: Musicians: Young Jeezy, Jason Aldean, Kadalack Boyz, The Allman Brothers, Mark Heard, Little Richard Penniman, Otis Redding, Phil Walden, Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers/Rolling Stones pianist); Actors: Blake Clark, Luke Askew, Eugene Butler, Melvyn Douglas, Sam Edwards, Sam Hennings, Jack McBrayer; Athletes: Russell Branyan, Kevin Brown, Al Lucas, Norm Nixon, Jim Parker, John Rocker, Theron Sapp, Ken Shamrock; Other: astronaut and professional soccer player Sonny Carter; Catherine Brewer Benson, credited as the first woman to earn a college degree; CNN talk show host and former prosecutor Nancy Grace; poet and musician Sidney Lanier

Area Information:
Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce
305 Coliseum Drive
Macon, GA 31298
478-741-8000
Fax: 478-621-2021

Macon-Bibb County Convention & Visitors Bureau
450 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Macon, GA 31201
800-768-3401

Recent Issues of the Newspaper:
The Telegraph
120 Broadway
Macon, GA 31201-3444
478-744-4200


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