Appen Media buys Decaturish.com with newsroom staff staying on
Appen Media Group, publishers of the Herald and Crier newspapers, announced July 1 it has purchased the digital news company Decaturish from longtime owner and founder Dan Whisenhunt.
The Alpharetta-based company will keep on Whisenhunt and assistant editor Zoe Seiler to continue their coverage of DeKalb County along with the Decaturish core of freelance writers and photographers. Debbie Inglis will stay in her advertising and marketing role with the company.
“We couldn’t be more excited to add the Decaturish brand to our media company. We have always admired what Dan has been able to achieve and his dogmatic approach to local journalism,” Publisher Hans Appen said. “The synergies and shared values between our two companies made this an easy decision and we can’t wait to build upon what is already a success story for local news.”
In its purchase of Decaturish, Appen aims to expand its online presence and expand its geographic reach to the east Metro suburbs. Before the acquisition, its newsroom covered a mostly northern cohort of cities, from Sandy Springs and Dunwoody up to south Forsyth County.
Appen also plans to build on the Decaturish brand by introducing new print media formats. The company intends to introduce at least two new local newspapers to the DeKalb County market, continuing its focus on government, business, public safety and community reporting.
“Decaturish is a beloved brand that is relied on by members of the community for news that most directly effects their quality of life,” Appen said. “Nothing that people love about Decaturish will change. AMG’s focus will be to expand and improve on what works already, and to give the Decaturish team the tools they need to make that happen.”
The move is the latest in Appen’s efforts to reinforce the local news environment in Metro Atlanta. The company purchased the Dunwoody Crier in 2019 and launched the Sandy Springs Crier in 2021. To help finance the movement, Appen created the Appen Press Club, a member-driven program where readers can pledge financial support to the work of local news. Decaturish brings with it a similar format, with loyal followers who recognize the importance of independent reporting in their community.