'The Nashville Banner' Returns As Digital Title After 24-Year Absence

The Nashville Banner, the historic daily that closed in 1998 after a 122-year run, is back—after a fashion. 

The title is being revitalized online as a nonprofit news source by journalists Steve Cavendish and  Demetria Kalodimos. 

Kalodimos, a local news anchor, and Cavendish, a veteran reporter who interned at the original Banner and later worked at The Washington Post and Chicago Tribune, are relaunching the title. It is expected to fully launch in 2023, with Kalodimos, who reported news on the city’s first TV station, WSMV, for 34 years, handling video, according to Nashville’s News Channel 5. 

The pair has published a corrections policy before they presumably have anything to correct. 

Why now? “Legacy news organizations are chasing clicks and viewer spikes while hiding quality journalism and stories of civic importance behind paywalls,” the new publishers write.

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The pair, working with director of development Paige Hendrickson, has raised more than 50% of its goal to fund a newsroom with 10 journalists. The new Banner will be free to readers. 

“What we need now more than anything is more boots on the ground journalists providing information that readers can trust. No opinion. No endorsements. Just news.”

What kind of news? 

“We’ll cover civic news, the kinds of things that help you make decisions about the community you live in: Metro government, state government, courts, criminal justice, the environment, education, housing and development, healthcare and more.” 

 

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