AUGUSTA, Ga.— Bluffton Today, a new daily newspaper serving Bluffton, S.C., and owned by Morris Publishing Group, the newspaper publishing arm of Morris Communications Co., makes its debut today. The announcement was made today by Morris Publishing Group President and CEO William S. Morris IV and Bluffton Today Publisher Larry G. Miller.

The "hyper-local," tabloid-size newspaper will have an initial circulation of 16,500 and be distributed free to every home in the greater Bluffton, S.C., area and in racks throughout the area. Bluffton Today will also be the vehicle for an innovative experiment in newspaper and Web publishing, with much of the content being user-driven. Readers can log onto the newspaper's Web site, BlufftonToday.com, and comment on stories that appear in the print edition. Those responses will then be edited and printed in the hard copy of the newspaper. Unlike other newspaper Web sites, the BlufftonToday.com site is centered on user participation instead of content derived from print. Every user receives a Web log, a photo gallery and an opportunity to contribute to a shared community event calendar.

"Bluffton is one of the fastest-growing communities in the Southeast and is the perfect place to launch this new phase of newspaper and Web publishing," Morris said. "We are proud to add Bluffton Today to the family of Morris newspapers."

Bluffton Today will have its share of in-depth stories, but will also feature short, information-packed pieces. Four words being used to describe the newspaper are: quick, useful, interactive and local. And while the newspaper will feature much of what readers might expect from a local paper - such as business, sports, news, features and religion coverage - the stories will have a voice that is distinctly Bluffton's, Miller said.

"Bluffton is a special place with a unique character, and it certainly deserves its own paper," Miller said. "We want to become the Bluffton residents' guide to their community."

Bluffton Today replaces the Carolina Morning News, a daily paper that since 1998 has been wrapped around the Savannah Morning News and delivered to the area each day.

Morris Publishing Group was formed in 2001 and assumed the operations of the newspaper business segment of its parent, Morris Communications Co., LLC. Morris Publishing Group publishes 27 daily, 12 nondaily and numerous free community newspapers in the United States.

Morris Communications Co., LLC is a privately held media company with diversified holdings that include newspaper and magazine publishing, outdoor advertising, book publishing and distribution, visitor guide publishing, radio broadcasting and online services.

CONTACT:
Michael Parsons
706-823-3533
michael.parsons@morris.com