160-year-old Tuskegee newspaper to remain in business after purchase by Macon County

• The Tuskegee News, a 160-year-old newspaper, was saved from closure by the Macon County Economic Development Authority (MCEDA).
• The MCEDA’s purchase prevented Tuskegee from becoming a “news desert,” a community with limited access to local news.
• The MCEDA plans to modernize the paper with a digital version and social media presence.

In a rare turn of events for the media landscape in 2025, a local newspaper in Tuskegee is making history for staying in business through unconventional means rather than closing down.

The Tuskegee News will operate under the newly created Tuskegee Media LLC, under the ownership of the Macon County Economic Development Authority.

Without the purchase, Tuskegee would have found itself newly included in the 50% of the United States that is in what’s called a “news desert,” which is a community with either limited access or no access to credible, comprehensive news.

The Tuskegee News, which is a weekly newspaper which has been around for the past 160 years and serves as the paper of record for the entirety of Macon County, saw its future jeopardized with recent leadership changes.

Gayle Davis, the owner, was ready to retire after 42 years running the paper, and the paper’s publisher and editor was looking to step down from his role after a similarly long tenure of 32 years.

With the long-time leadership stepping down and no private buyers interested in buying the paper, Joe Turnham, long-time contributor to The Tuskegee News and the director of the MCEDA, stepped in.

“This isn’t just about saving a paper,” Turnham said. “It’s about preserving the voice of a community and protecting our momentum and economic development. … To have lost it would have been tragic.”

Turnham also said he believes this is the first time that a newspaper has been purchased by an economic development agency — both in Alabama and anywhere in the country.

Locals have been thankful for the paper staying intact now that it’s under new ownership and are looking forward to preserving the voice of Tuskegee itself.

“It’s about people — people are concerned about what’s happening locally,” said Guy Trammell, a Tuskegee native who writes a column in conjunction with Maine-based Amy Miller called Color Us Connected, which focuses on “a discussion of race” from differing perspectives, as per the blog’s description. “Big news is one thing, but these other things are important too. It might not be spectacular, and someone in Omaha, or Hardaway, or White Church or Liberty City… might not necessarily be concerned with what’s happening here, but the ones here, I can guarantee, we are.”

As far as the future of the paper, the MCEDA plans to launch a digital version of the paper and social media channels within the first 100 days.

“The newspaper is part of our identity,” Turnham said. “Saving it helps ensure our progress, our people and our potential continue to be seen and heard.”

Sarah Clifton covers business for the Montgomery Advertiser. You can reach her at sclifton@montgome.gannett.com or follow her on X @sarahgclifton. To support her work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.