When I read that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was consolidating into an entirely digital platform, my immediate thought was not one of surprise. But every thought since has been about the things my kids will never understand.
In my parents’ house sits a Rubbermaid container, which includes all the milestone memories as both an adolescent Georgian and a resident of Earth.
I have all the newspaper’s sections from the Braves’ runs in the 1990s. I have every section from the 1996 Olympics. I have issues from 9/11, and all the events we all share. One of the buzz words you hear about now is “authenticity.” Nothing was more authentic than a Lewis Grizzard column.
I also have the niche articles about the legendary Parkview High School football teams from 1997 through the end of high school. I saved the article from when Jeff Francoeur hit his first home run against the Cubs in 2005. That was my actual life.
In Lilburn, Jeff was ours. The AJC built him into a gladiator-like figure long before that home run. Reading about him there, it was scale. To be written about in the local paper was one thing. Getting written about in AJC print, he might as well have been Time magazine’s person of the year.
Being featured in the paper made me feel like a teenager again
Credit: hand
Credit: hand
The nostalgia of those years was great. If you were featured, the girl you liked might finally cut out the article that you were a part of. That sounds silly in 2025. But in 1998, your head would not fit through the school bus.
In 2003, my baby brother became the winningest Varsity tennis player in Gwinnett County history. Unfortunately, my mom saved those too. Although my brother never beat me, he was the one the AJC would cover.
I will never forget the 2017 column from when I won a seat in elected office. It was about me. Even if fewer read it, it made me feel like I was 14 years old. At 34, I was a kid again. In 2018, I started a podcast and cultivated a close friendship with Casey Cagle. In 2019, after he lost his governor’s bid, I interviewed Casey and the folks at Appen Media were gracious enough to say, “You should give this to the AJC.” They were openhanded. It was Georgia’s story. Low and behold, it made the front page. It gave me so much credibility.
I enjoy it when people read and respond to my columns. It is sweet, and kind-spirited. To have that reach is a blessing. But back then, if your girlfriend cut out an article and saved it, there was real intentionality in that.
The Burnetts had boxes of newspapers that we collected every day. Monthly, we would take them to Knight Elementary School to recycle them in the community dumpster. My children will never know the joy of being a 12-year-old recycling 200 pounds of newspaper.
Digital is easier, but print is an experience children won’t savor
There is also a lesson here. If the AJC is making the decision to step away from print journalism, what does that mean for all the papers around the country? Metro Atlanta is fortunate to have great local news. They cover events that the AJC sometimes cannot. In a world that is market-driven, those publications matter.
If Appen Media did not cover Sandy Springs circumventing records laws and banning the delivery of newspapers, would the AJC know about it? Maybe, but maybe not. Multiply that by 500 cities, and 50 states. I marvel at what the AJC is doing in 2025; it is brave. Even when I roll my eyes at new concepts. They are trying new things.
The legacy newspaper business is core to American history — our history. As a conservative, we complain about them. We complain because written journalism can be left-leaning. But the secret liberals do not know: We also complain about coverage because it is part of what we do. Both things can be true. We relish the hate. For some reason, in print, it meant more. Anybody can troll you on the internet.
The AJC getting delivered was as foundational to my ATLien experience as waiting in line at Publix for Dave Matthews Band tickets or buying CDs at Turtle’s on Tuesdays. It is easier to listen to music on my iPhone. It is easier to login today to buy Taylor Swift tickets. And yes, it is easier to read the AJC from my digital device. But my boys will never know if their prospective girlfriend saved that article.
Ben Burnett is a business owner and former member of the Alpharetta City Council. He is a Republican and a regular contributor to the AJC.
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