About the Project
A community-focused weekly newspaper launched during the height of the pandemic, combining local journalism, thoughtful design, and grassroots engagement.
Edisto River News was founded in 2020 during the height of COVID-19, with a mission to provide meaningful local journalism to communities across Lexington County. As Publisher, I helped build the publication from the ground up, creating a trusted news source centered on community connection, relevant reporting, and reader engagement.
I designed the newspaper's logo and established the overall print layout, developing a clean, readable format optimized for weekly black-and-white printing, with a full-color edition published monthly. The paper was distributed through local businesses across several Lexington County towns, allowing us to maintain strong visibility and accessibility throughout the communities we served.
Community engagement was at the heart of our success. Local businesses regularly partnered with us through advertising, and we created special features that resonated with readers, including extensive high school football coverage and interactive prediction contests inspired by tournament-style brackets. In addition to print, I expanded our digital reach through online editions published on Issuu and an active Facebook presence that continues to serve the community today.
Although print publication eventually concluded, the Edisto River News brand remains active online, continuing the community connections that inspired its founding.
Key Contributions:
Co-founded and launched a weekly community newspaper
Designed the newspaper logo and print publication layout
Oversaw print production and community distribution
Developed digital editions through Issuu and social media
Created reader engagement campaigns and special sports and local political coverage
Built strong relationships with local advertisers and community partners
Tools Used: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Issuu, Facebook Business Suite