Shelby County Reporter
115 Main St.
Columbiana, AL35051
(205) 669-3131
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The Newspaper
The Community

The Newspaper

History
Originally named the Alabama Reporter and later merged with the Shelby County Democrat, the first edition was published on May 6, 1843, by J.D. O'Donnell and T.J. Cross in what is now Talladega County. Civil War news sent by telegraph published along with the names of local soldiers, oftentimes on sheets of paper, on paper bags, and once on wallpaper due to paper shortages. The newspaper's printing press, used to print the original Code of Alabama, was moved to Columbiana by then owner Luther J. Fowler in June 1923.

The Reporter has chronicled the growth of the county from a mostly rural community into the state's fastest growing, most affluent county.

Goal
The Shelby County Reporter and its employees strive to:

• Produce exciting, top-quality news publications focusing on people and events that affect the Shelby County area;
• Go the extra mile to meet the needs of our advertisers;
• Report news accurately and without bias;
• Edit and publish with integrity and with the best interest of our community in mind;
• Operate at a profit level that allows us to fairly compensate our employees, reinvest in our community and stand independent from outside influences;
• Take an active leadership role in our community;
• Do what we say we will do;
• Treat our readers, advertisers and employees as we would like to be treated ourselves.

Circulation
The Shelby County Reporter is published weekly on Wednesdays, and has a wide readership across Shelby County and its 14 cities and towns.

Internet presence
The Reporter's online home -- www.shelbycountyreporter.com -- is a 24/7 news engine for Shelby County.

Awards
The Shelby County Reporter has won dozens of awards for editorial content, advertising design, layout, photography and its web presence. The Reporter won the Alabama Press Association's General Excellence for large weekly newspapers in 2007, 2008 and 2009, the highest honor an Alabama newspaper can achieve. In 2008, the Reporter became the first Alabama paper to win the Advertising Sweepstakes award, General Excellence award and Best Website award in the same year.

Community involvement
The Shelby County Reporter leads by example in its community. It is actively involved with its five local Chambers of Commerce [Calera, Greater Shelby County, Hoover Area, Montevallo and South Shelby]. The Reporter is a major sponsor of Leadership Shelby County, and many of its employees have gone through the program and graduated. The Reporter works with many local high schools and colleges to produce their student newspapers, and many of its employees are active in local civic organizations, charitable groups and local churches.

Read about the Shelby County community.

Read more BNI community profiles.

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