Tim Regan-Porter named South Region editor for McClatchy

"Tim will bring to these three important newsrooms an innovative approach that I'm confident will help to strengthen our connections with our communities and deliver the kind of journalism that is essential to readers and viewers," said Kristin Roberts, who oversees McClatchy's East Region, including Georgia and Mississippi. "We are lucky to have Tim on our leadership team."

Regan-Porter will be based in Macon where for the last six years he has worked as the executive director of the Center for Collaborative Journalism at Macon's Mercer University, one of the most innovative community-journalism initiatives in the country. Before joining the CCJ, he was president and co-founder of Paste, which he and his team built first into the world's third-largest editorially focused music magazine and then into a digital juggernaut.

Regan-Porter currently is completing a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University, where he has focused his work on identifying ways in which newsrooms can develop sustainable, trusted brands that are loved by the people in their communities.

"I am excited by the opportunity to serve the communities of Macon, Columbus and Biloxi in this new role," said Regan-Porter. "This is a region I have called home for most of my life, and I care deeply about its people and their welfare. Our news outlets are vital components of our communities. Our health impacts the health of the entire region. I look forward to helping strengthen the quality journalism that has been a bedrock of these institutions while reimagining how we serve our neighbors in the digital age."

"Tim has put a great deal of thought into how journalists can connect more deeply with their communities," said Tim Grieve, vice president of news at McClatchy. "We're excited to have him work closely with strong leaders in each local newsroom to become ever more essential to the people we serve."