Bailey named RN-T executive editor
John Bailey, current Rome News-Tribune managing editor, has been named as executive editor.
“We like to promote from within when possible and we are happy that John has accepted the opportunity to lead the newsroom in Rome and area weekly newspapers,” said Otis Brumby III, president of Times Journal Inc. the parent company of the Rome News-Tribune.
As executive editor,
Bailey will be undertaking various roles within the organization including day-to- day management of the newspaper as well as community relations.
“I am proud to be a part of this community and this newspaper,” said Bailey, who began working at the Rome News-Tribune as a reporter in 2007. “I hope to help the newspaper evolve and grow just as the industry itself is changing and just as our community grows.”
Bailey said he is eager to find ways in which the Rome News-Tribune can explore even more areas of the community in order to discover and share the people, places and stories in ways that only a hometown newspaper can.
“I very much agree with my predecessor (former managing editor) Mike Colombo that a good community newspaper is something which chronicles the history of that community every day,” Bailey said. “My family lives in this community, we work and play in this community, we make friends and do business in this community. So I’m invested in this community. And I want to lead our Rome News-Tribune team in covering this community.”
Starting off as a reporter covering crime and courts, Bailey has spent the past six years overseeing and growing the RN-T’s online presence. He’ll take the role as executive editor alongside Rome News-Tribune Publisher Otis Raybon until Raybon’s retirement on Dec. 31.
While retiring from the Rome News-Tribune, Raybon is not leaving Rome.
“I am excited for the readers of RN-T under the leadership of John Bailey. He and his family love Rome and are very involved in many areas. He has considerable experience in recognizing and reporting local news and knows the value of state, national and world news to our readers,” Raybon said. “He has been involved with growing our online presence since 2007, understands the technology and will lead the creation of additional digital content to serve this community’s needs. In addition to his duties at RN-T, Bailey will assist the editors of the Calhoun Times, The Polk County Standard Journal, Walker County Messenger and The Catoosa County News.”
Times Journal Inc. also publishes the Marietta Daily Journal, Cherokee Tribune in Canton, Neighbor Newspapers and several magazines.
Bailey is married to Sally Hagge-Bailey, a teacher and artist. He has three children, Alexander, 8; Griffin, 6; and Eva, 24. A history buff and avid mountain biker, he grew up in Rome, went to West Rome High School and is a graduate of both Georgia Highlands College and Shorter University.