The Tennessean
Nashville, TN
The Tennessean, I believe, is the first news media property to repeat on the 10 That Do It Right list two years in a row. But after reading the submission and looking at their accomplishments, we had to ask, “If not them, then who?” The Tennessean not only covers their local community of Nashville but, as the flagship for the South Region of the USA TODAY Network, they lead, coordinate and elevate regional journalism across their five-state region.
When asked about their growth, Michael Anastasi, vice president and editor at The Tennessean, gave me the good news of strong growth, with a 26.7% increase for digitalonly subscribers to nearly 33,000 and subscriber page views growth of 40%. But instead, he said, “This year, however, we would really like to bring your attention to our work focused on serving and reflecting the totality of the community we cover.” Utilizing a three-pronged approach, they evaluated their efforts on 1) inside the company/staff, 2) their engagement and 3) their coverage.
By the summer of 2021, The Tennessean conducted an official diversity audit and found that they were just shy of their community (28.3% to 29.6%). They’ve continued to work and believe that their next official audit will show that they have met their goal to reflect the community they serve.
Community engagement included the successful evolution of the Black Tennessee Voices brand, which launched in 2020 and now consists of a vodcast, a curated monthly newsletter, a page of Black writers in their expanded Sunday insight print section and Lebron Hill’s column on Black issues. The success of this program is illustrated in the newsletter’s open rate of 40% and click-through rate of 8%, exceeding the company benchmarks. In addition, in 2021, they launched Latino Tennessee Voices, modeled after BTV, to better connect with Nashville’s 14% population of Latino heritage. That, too, has been a success, with a doubling of the subscriber base.
Content is always a key focus for
The Tennessean. Waverly, Tennessee came into the nation’s awareness in August 2021, when, in the space of twelve minutes, the Middle Tennessee community of 4,300 found itself in a dangerous flooding situation that would take 20 precious lives from their midst. The Tennessean covered this once-in-a-thousand-years meteorologic event with their typical passion, sensitivity and thoroughness — telling the initial story about the severity of the damage, giving daily reports with updates (one, in particular, explaining the fluctuating death toll), following Governor Bill Lee and state legislators as they visited the area and telling
stories of rescues and survivors as they recounted tales of perseverance, rebuilding, fears for the future and struggles with mental health.
At The Tennessean, editorial focuses on writing for and not just about the diverse communities they cover. This has manifested in some key projects for the South region. “Hallowed Sound” is a two-part project that focuses on the Black experience illustrated through music. “The Confederate Reckoning” is an 18-month “collaborative project of the USA TODAY Network newsrooms across the South to critically examine the legacy of the Confederacy, Reconstruction and the Jim Crow era and their influence on communities today.”
Whatever they do, The Tennessean has a firm commitment to growth and service to their entire community — now and in the future. Anastasi summed it up, “I am immensely proud of our leadership team and staff. Receiving this recognition for the second consecutive year is a testament to the commitment to consistent excellence that they bring every day.” Obviously, we at E&P agree.