Before the internet, the printed newspaper was a hub of current news and information — something you could hold and feel in your hands. For Atlantans now in their mid-40s and older, who grew up learning about the world in ink rather than from a screen, the newspaper was far more than a source for headlines.
It was a routine, a family gathering place and a small thrill to look forward to each morning. It marked the arrival of the world at your doorstep.
For 157 years, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution — once two papers, The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution — provided readers with the news they needed most. From current events and politics to sports, lifestyle and comics, the newspaper was the resource to understand what mattered that day.
After Dec. 31, 2025, the printed AJC will cease to exist. As the presses churn out their final editions this month, metro Atlantans are reminiscing about the traditions, memories and daily rituals shaped by the paper.
The familiar thump on the driveway
For many residents, their memory of the AJC begins with a sound: the soft thud of a newspaper landing on the driveway before sunrise.
“In the ’80s, we had a newspaper carrier who would throw the paper out the car window in a plastic sleeve,” said Lisa Weathers of Statham. “I couldn’t wait to rush out, grab it and deliver it to my grandparents.”
What followed was a weekly ritual passed from generation to generation. At her grandparents’ home in Lawrenceville, Weathers and her grandmother rocked on the porch as they scanned the obituaries, wedding announcements and birth notices. They clipped and saved announcements of births, marriages and deaths, preserving family history in scrapbooks long before social media timelines existed.
Her grandfather would announce, “The funny papers are here.” They would spend the morning searching for “Peanuts” and other comics while her grandmother dove into sale ads. Later, Weathers clipped coupons with her mother and circled Christmas wishes in the Toys R Us insert. When the adults finally relinquished the paper, she pressed silly putty over the comics to copy her favorite panels.
Weathers still keeps the 1995 Braves World Series edition, her Sept. 12, 2001, paper featuring Mike Luckovich’s “Statue of Liberty weeps” and clippings from the 1996 Olympics.
“I couldn’t wait to see all the pictures,” she said.
Keepsakes of moments that shaped lives
In telling the story of Atlanta and the lives of people within the community, the AJC established a familiar rhythm in homes across the metro area.
“The AJC will always remind me of my dad,” said Cami Whitley, a Tucker native. “He never let his subscription expire until the day he couldn’t remember how to renew,” she recalled. Weekend mornings meant spreading the paper across the living room and diving in together.
“I remember waking up on Saturdays and Sundays searching for the cartoon section to see the latest ‘Peanuts’ or ‘Garfield,’” she said.
As she grew a bit older, she took interest in the sports section, patiently waiting for her father to finish with his favorite section before she could take her turn. Over time, clipping stories of her favorite players became a hobby, and she has kept many of them to this day, such as articles from University of Georgia’s 1980 national championship and from her high school’s perfect season.
“A lot of memories growing up,” she said. “Some I can’t even put into words.”
For others, the sports section was something to honor and preserve. Jennifer Lunsford of Stockbridge remembers searching two stores to find the edition with the front page news announcing the University of Georgia’s Rose Bowl win in 2018. Her husband had attended the bowl game, and she “wanted that front page so he could frame it with his tickets and memorabilia,” she said.
Christina Garcia-Carreras recalled how her parents once saved a newspaper clipping of an article that featured her family for having so many soccer players. “We framed it and kept it on the piano mantle,” she said.
Credit: Karisa Seymour
Credit: Karisa Seymour
And for Karisa Seymour, the AJC holds an irreplaceable memory.
“They did an article on my dad, Richard Wigbels, after his passing. So special.”
Some Atlantans have saved editions of the AJC paper that represent a memorable or pivotal time in their own lives as well.
“I saved the AJC paper from the blizzard of 1993 because it was our first real Atlanta snowstorm,” said Kathleen Whitehead from Loganville, who is originally from New Jersey and had recently separated from her husband at the time of the storm.
“The power went out, we kept warm by the fire, and we still laugh about how we’d joked about burning the furniture next to stay warm! That storm taught me how tough and resilient my kids and I could be on our own.”
Credit: Kathleen Whitehead
Credit: Kathleen Whitehead
Life before the internet
Long before smartphones, websites, and apps, the AJC helped readers navigate daily life.
“I remember using the paper for so much, pre-internet,” Katie Waterfill said. “TV and movie listings, jobs, real estate, yard sales, coupons.”
Her mother, Kathleen Teare, recalled depending on the AJC professionally.
“As a realtor, I used the paper to advertise my listings. It was the best way to get the word out,” she said. “I’d read through all the listings to see what else was for sale and what new subdivisions were being built. Open houses were the best.”
For decades, house hunters found homes through the print paper, job seekers circled want ads with ballpoint pens, and antique shoppers scoured the classifieds for yard sales and flea markets.
“I thought I’d find my dream job in Buckhead from a six-sentence want ad,” said Emily Learned, who grew up in Atlanta and now lives in Tennessee. Her bygone Sunday ritual included CBS Sunday Morning on TV, the AJC spread out across the bed and a cup of coffee nearby.
“I’d thumb through the real estate section for fun and look for job postings,” she said.
For many teens and young adults, that classifieds section was the doorway into adulthood.
“I remember looking for jobs in the paper,” said Kristina Miller, illustrating how the AJC once functioned as a bridge between hopeful beginnings and real-world opportunity.
For some Atlantans, newspaper memories are tied to key local events. Atlanta orthopedic surgeon Dr. Allen McDonald said he remembers “cutting out and mailing in the Peachtree Road Race application that came out the third Sunday of March,” a task that has since moved online, along with many others.
A trusted companion, now turning its last page
Even as digital news reshaped habits, many households held onto the print subscription out of loyalty or love.
To readers like Lunsford, the print edition represented stability — like an old friend.
“With this shift to digital, it means a piece of Atlanta becomes another memory in this ever-changing world,” she said. “It feels like letting go of a friend you knew was always there every day.”
As Atlanta prepares to say goodbye to its printed daily paper, the memories shared by longtime readers perhaps reveal something more than nostalgia. The AJC was a civic ritual, a household utility, a family scrapbook and a cultural anchor. It delivered the city’s triumphs and tragedies, but it also delivered the small, ordinary moments that shaped people’s lives.
The presses will stop, but the memories of quiet mornings, shared sections, family legacies, dramatic headlines and keepsake stories will forever remain part of Atlanta’s collective past.
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