Old News

A victory

This past Sunday, I picked up the very last Sunday print edition of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The AJC was a tradition for many of us in the metro Atlanta area for many years. A cultural icon on newsprint for 157 years at the time of its final edition. As a Georgia resident, there was a time when I bought the Sunday edition every week. And the weekday editions abandoned on Marta trains for other riders to peruse were a familiar sight. The paper was $1.50 in those days. On Sundays, I looked forward to many features, and when my family and I finished with the paper, I would use the pages in my creative work. 

the last Sunday paper

I later got to portray an AJC newsroom worker in a movie about the Olympic bombing. I have copies from the Gulf War, bin Laden's execution, and other memorable moments from over the years. 

Some of my favorite features: The double edition on Sundays (this was two big, bulky newspapers bundled together, offering 2x the coupons and the paper, so you seldom had to wait to read the section you wanted).

The Vent

Celestine Sibley

Coupons

Parade Magazine

Sunday Comics

Colorful Store Circulars (these were like my adult version of the Sears catalog)

Horoscopes

The Style Section

Dear Abby

Miss Manners

Buyer's Edge

I spent many Sundays pouring over those feature-packed newspapers, enjoying the local news and finding inspiration. I have good memories around that, and I'd like to thank the people who made that publication what it was. For me it was a form of connection before smartphones and social media took a firm hold on our attention. 

  

The AJC is still available via online subscription. You can learn more here.