Feel free to pay attention to the men and women behind the curtain at The Melody

The only downside to writing a weekly column is that sometimes, occasionally, every once in a while, it feels like you don’t have much to say. 

It’s then that the blank page feels truly intimidating.

Because first and foremost, I don’t want to waste your time. I use this space, most of the time, to discuss my life, the things I’m doing and watching and reading. I hope it breaks down any perceived barriers between me and you. Our work is important, but it shouldn’t be mysterious.

The journalism I and my staff produce at The Melody is all about strengthening our community. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, our focus is telling the stories that aren’t being told, listening to people who aren’t being heard, highlighting people that deserve more of the spotlight. 

Our staff includes: sports editor Micah Johnston, columnist Ed Grisamore, senior government accountability reporter Laura Corley, photographer Jason Vorhees, general assignment reporter Casey Choung, reporter Mary Helene Hall and community reporter Evelyn Davidson. Senior Director of Business Development Dave Hedge, advertising account executive Hannah Thompson and news clerk Janisha Rozier round out the team. 

Our reporters come from all over the country — Virginia, Texas, New York, Indiana and, of course, right here in Middle Georgia. We’re proud to have three Mercer University grads in our newsroom, which is inside of the Reg Murphy Center for Collaborative Journalism at Mercer Village.

The Melody’s reporting is designed to connect you to your community. It’s a lofty goal, one we’re not always able to meet. But even simply pursuing such a goal is valuable. 

While I believe we are good at telling Maconites’ stories, we’re not always good at telling our own story. In that spirit, I’ll give you an overview of The Melody and how we’re connected to dozens of newspapers across the country. 

The Melody is part of The Georgia Trust for Local News — I’m actually the executive editor for the trust — a group of 20 nonprofit newspapers that stretch from the Georgia/Alabama border east past Dublin and south to Albany. Most of those newspapers are small weeklies, often the only news organization covering the city or county in which they operate. 

The Georgia Trust is one of three state-level trusts owned by The National Trust for Local News, a nonprofit founded in 2023. The two other trusts are based in Maine and Colorado. The National Trust this week announced a new CEO, a veteran newspaper executive named Tom Wiley. Wiley is currently the president and publisher of the Buffalo (New York) News. I’m excited to see his vision for the company. 

Curious about The Melody? Send me a note. I’d be happy to tell you more.

Caleb Slinkard is the managing editor of The Macon Melody. Email him at caleb@maconmelody.com.