Trusted Local News

Mississippi Press represents over 100 print and digital journalism publications in the Magnolia State. Now marking our 160th year, we provide advocacy, legal services, continuing education, and networking opportunities for our members.

BYLINES & DATELINES


» Lyndy Berryhill has purchased the Stone County Enterprise in Wiggins from Lancaster Management, which ceased operations in mid-July. Berryhill joined the Enterprise in 2019 as a reporter and was named general manager in 2021. She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and a member of the Mississippi Press Foundation Board of Directors. Lancaster sold its only other Mississippi property, the Sea Coast Echo in Bay St. Louis, to its publisher, Geoff Belcher, in 2025.

» Henry Carney, longtime publisher of The Meteor in Crystal Springs and a former member of the Mississippi Press Board of Directors, died Aug. 21 at Baptist Medical Center in Jackson. He was 90. Mr. Carney was a graduate of Millsaps College in Jackson and a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International. His son, John Carney, is publisher of the Copiah Monitor and Lawrence County Press. 

» Garnett Sellers Colburn, publisher of The George County Times, was featured in a documentary chronicling the history of Lucedale. Sellers said she was especially grateful to have her full, unedited 15-minute interview preserved, documenting her family’s longtime connection to the newspaper, as well as the history of the Morgan family and Morgan Hotel.

» Anita Lee, longtime reporter for the Sun Herald on the Gulf Coast, retired July 31. She joined the newsroom in 1987 after previously working at The Virginian-Pilot and Jackson Daily News. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, she was cited numerous times during her career for her investigative reporting into stories such as murder of former circuit judge Vincent Sherry and his wife, Margaret, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its aftermath, and Hurricane Katrina. She was inducted into the Mississippi Press Hall of Fame in 2003. 

» William Carroll was recently named regional editor of the Meridian Star. Carroll, who has over 14 years of experience in community journalism has served mostly as an editor for publications throughout the eastern U.S. Most recently he served as the editor of the Warrenton Record in Warrenton, Mo. He previously served in similar roles in Starkville and Philadelphia, Miss. 

Headlines

Foundation Board updates bylaws, expands mission

The Mississippi Press Foundation has updated its bylaws to better reflect the organization’s evolving mission and the changing needs of Mississippi’s news industry. The amendments formally change …

Mississippi Press to roast Insurance Commissioner Nov. 19

Get ready for an evening of good-natured ribbing, Mississippi personalities and a great cause when the Mississippi Press Foundation hosts its Celebrity Roast of Mississippi Commissioner of Insurance …

Great River Local News Coalition formed to expand resources for local news

JACKSON—Three state-based newspaper foundations have joined forces to expand resources and capacity for local journalism through the formation of the Great River Local News Coalition. The …

Mississippi Press unveils online Hall of Fame exhibit

The Mississippi Press Association has completed a historical preservation project that brings the stories of the state's most influential newspaper leaders to a wider audience. Biographies of all 78 …

Imes elected president of Mississippi Press

Peter Imes , editor and publisher of The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus, has been elected president of the Mississippi Press Association Board of Directors for 2026-27. Imes officially assumed …

Newsrooms in Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada, Charleston feted for excellence

BILOXI — Journalists working for Mississippi newsrooms large and small took home nearly $30,000 in cash awards from the 2025 Better News Media Contest, and newspapers in Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada …

Mississippi State, Jones College named top student newsrooms

The Reflector at Mississippi State and The Radionian at Jones College were awarded General Excellence in collegiate media on March 26 during the annual O.C. McDavid Journalism Summit in Ridgeland, …