Hyperlocal news publisher Rough Draft Atlanta will consolidate all but two of its distinctly branded local newspapers under one title starting next month, a move that simplifies its printing process and saves costs.
The media organization will also expand into Norcross next month, marking the first time it has delivered newspapers to a city in Gwinnett County. About 7,500 households will receive the free paper.
The company distributes monthly papers to households in intown Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Buckhead and Tucker, all with distinct titles. The issues, along with the Norcross paper, will now all run as Rough Draft in Print.
Owner and publisher Keith Pepper has wanted to consolidate the brands for at least five years. With the exception of Atlanta Intown and The Georgia Voice, the papers share the same editorial content.
The consolidation will save the company roughly the same amount of money as a salaried reporter position, which will be reinvested back into its reporting. Atlanta Intown and The Georgia Voice, an LGBTQ+-focused publication the company acquired in 2024, will maintain their distinct brands.
Pepper calls the consolidation a logical step forward.
“It allows us to grow — it’s a corny word, but — more seamlessly,” Pepper said. “We don’t have to launch a new brand. There’s significant cost savings we can reinvest in other places.”
This is the latest step forward for Rough Draft Atlanta, which Pepper acquired in 2020 and transformed into a multiplatform news organization. In the years since, Rough Draft has more than doubled its editorial staff and increased its full-time salaries by 50% and its freelance budget threefold. It added a new print edition serving Tucker, acquired The Georgia Voice and bolstered its coverage of the city’s dining, film and arts scenes. It also leaned further into digital newsletters to directly reach audiences.
Print remains a vital part of the business, accounting for about 70% of its revenue in 2025. With the addition of the Norcross paper, the company’s free monthly print circulation is now 100,000.
The expansion into Norcross is because of interest from both business and civic leaders, Pepper said. Norcross City Councilmember Bruce Gaynor, whom Pepper knows through a mutual friend, said no one was covering the City Council meetings.
Norcross will pay Rough Draft to insert its monthly city newsletter in each local issue. The arrangement benefits both sides, according to Pepper: The newsletter will reach more households than it did when Norcross was mailing it to residents directly, and Rough Draft receives an extra stream of income. The news organization has the same deal in place with Tucker and Brookhaven.
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