Barrow Journal to launch October 29

“Despite all the doom-and-gloom people hear about the newspaper industry, we believe there is a strong demand for high quality community newspapers,” said co-publishers Scott and Mike Buffington. “For many years, we've been asked by readers and advertisers in Barrow County to publish a local weekly newspaper in the community; we are responding to that demand with the launching of the Barrow Journal.”

Mainstreet Newspapers is a nationally renowned, family-owned newspaper company that publishes five community newspapers in Northeast Georgia. The locally-owned firm also operates a family of community websites, including the BarrowJournal.com, which is focused on news in Barrow County.

“Our Barrow County website has received a tremendous response and building on that with a weekly print edition is the logical next step,” said the Buffingtons. "We are confident about the future of community journalism and very excited about the start-up of the Barrow Journal."

The staff of the Journal will be Chris Bridges as editor, Susan Treadwell as advertising manager, Kristi Reed as news and web editor and Susan Mobley as office manager. The staff also includes Jessica Brown and Jeremiah Dills, reporters and photographers. The Buffingtons, owners of Mainstreet Newspapers, will also have a hands-on role in the new enterprise, along with a number of additional Mainstreet staff members who will provide support services for the Barrow Journal.

"We take a lot of pride in providing quality local news coverage and high value for advertisers in the communities where we publish newspapers," the Buffingtons said. "We also believe in reinvesting in the communities we serve; we are not a large corporate conglomerate. Both we and our staff members are local people who live and work in the communities we serve."

The Barrow Journal’s office is located at 77 East May Street, Winder. The firm purchased the building during the summer. Wayne Parker of Maynard & Bartlett Realty, Winder, handled the real estate transaction.

Other newspapers published by Mainstreet Newspapers are The Jackson Herald, Jefferson; The Braselton News, Braselton; The Commerce News, Commerce; The Banks County News, Homer; and The Madison County Journal, Danielsville.