AJC means business, with its new newsletter, ‘Georgianomics’

Our hierarchy is conversion to paid subscribers above all else, then engagement and habit-building, then open and click rates.”

Betsy Santoyo, director of audience engagement, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

When The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) ended its print run in December 2025, it was making a deliberate bet on digital growth. Its new business newsletter, “Georgianomics,” illustrates how the publisher is putting that strategy into practice.

Launched in August 2026, “Georgianomics” is a weekly newsletter connecting younger professionals with reporting on the businesses, people and economic forces shaping Georgia.

“Our existing business coverage has relevant material for younger professionals, but that audience isn’t finding it,” said Betsy Santoyo, director of audience engagement at AJC.

Rather than creating an entirely new reporting operation, the newsletter provides another entry point to journalism the newspaper already produces. The goal is to develop reading habits that eventually translate into paid subscriptions. The launch builds on AJC’s deliberate transition to digital-only publishing, which includes investment in newsletters, video and audience development. The publisher has surpassed 100,000 online subscribers, although its target of reaching 500,000 has been extended to the end of the decade.

Early results offer encouragement. After six editions, AJC reported 47% growth in subscribers. The newsletter inherited some existing audiences; however, the publisher did not disclose total subscriber counts. Santoyo attributed subsequent growth to content and internal promotion. AJC plans to consolidate three LinkedIn business newsletter audiences totaling approximately 12,000 followers, directing readers toward “Georgianomics” and AJC.com. Cross-promotion, potential business partnerships and industry events offer additional opportunities to expand its reach.

“Our hierarchy is conversion to paid subscribers above all else, then engagement and habit-building, then open and click rates," Santoyo said.

Larry Degaris is the executive director of Northwestern University’s Medill Spiegel Research Center. (Photo credit: Jenna Braunstein)

That emphasis on habit aligns with research from Northwestern University’s Medill Spiegel Research Center, which found that regular reading is strongly associated with subscriber retention. Larry DeGaris, the center’s executive director, said social connection is an important predictor of reading regularity. His research examines how journalism that readers discuss or share can encourage repeat engagement.

“Newsletters can be edited for experience or, better, written for experience,” DeGaris said.

Joseph Lichterman is head of editorial and communications at the Lenfest Institute for Journalism in Philadelphia. (Photo credit: Hannah Yoon/Lenfest)

Joseph Lichterman, head of editorial and communications at the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, said successful newsletters require a clearly defined audience and value proposition. After reviewing AJC’s launch announcement, Lichterman said “Georgianomics” appeared to have both, identifying Georgia's business leaders as its audience and economic insight as its offering.

“They’re betting that they can provide valuable insight to readers that are willing to pay for it,” Lichterman said.

The newsletter covers executive moves, real estate, aviation, company expansions and Georgia’s data-center boom. Santoyo said stories connecting economic developments to jobs and housing have generated particularly strong reader interest.

AJC is exploring future subscriber-only newsletters focused on narrower subjects, including real estate, aviation and specific industries. These potential offerings could deepen relationships with readers while creating additional opportunities for subscription revenue.

As publishers develop specialized products, Lichterman emphasized the importance of maintaining quality rather than expanding indiscriminately.

“It’s better to focus efforts on a fewer number of newsletters that you can execute well rather than have to discontinue products or disappoint readers you’re trying to build trust with," he said.

For AJC, “Georgianomics” represents an opportunity to make existing journalism more discoverable, useful and habitual. Its early audience growth is encouraging, although the publisher has not disclosed paid-subscription conversions attributable to the newsletter. The larger opportunity is to turn readers who might never have sought out AJC’s business coverage into an engaged audience with reasons to return — and eventually subscribe.

Taayoo Murray is a New York City-based journalist who covers health, wellness and parenting. She is the founder of The Care Capitalist, which convenes off-the-record rooms to think through healthcare’s hardest questions. She welcomes emails at taayoo_murray@yahoo.com.