Magic Valley Publishing of Camden has purchased the Tennessee newspapers owned by American Hometown Publishing effective April 1, including The Leader. The only changes for The Leader will come in its leadership. Brian Blackley, who previously served as publisher for eight years, will return as publisher of The Leader along with other duties with Magic Valley. After leaving Covington in 2017, he spent almost two years with Lakeway Publishers as group manager of their Middle Tennessee group of six newspapers. “Being able to come back and join the team at The Leader is exciting to me,” said Blackley. I’m glad to be back in the community and I look forward to resuming my work here.” A Mississippi native, he has spent his life in the newspaper industry. He has won numerous press association awards across multiple states for writing, photography and his work in promoting. MVP President Dennis Richardson said he believes in the local autonomy for news and editorial content for community newspapers. Magic Valley Publishing publications include the paid subscription newspapers The Leader in Covington, the Chester County Independent in Henderson, Collierville Herald, Wayne County News in Waynesboro, the Camden Chronicle, Carroll County News-Leader in Huntingdon, Buffalo River Review in Linden, News-Democrat in Waverly, Lake County Banner in Tiptonville and Crockett County Times in Alamo along with the free publications The Shopper News based in Jackson, the Shopper’s Guide in Waverly and Family Classifieds based in Camden.
