CNI Regional Publisher Keith Barlow announced Tuesday that marketing specialist Erin Etris and senior reporter Denise Etheridge have accepted key leadership positions at the White County News. Etris will oversee all the day-to-day business duties at the News as general manager. Etheridge will handle newsroom responsibilities as managing editor.
“Erin and Denise have shown how exceptional they are,” Barlow said. “I’m excited they are moving into these two important leadership roles with the newspaper. I have confidence they will excel and continue to produce a newspaper the community will be proud of.”
Both have a solid history working at White County’s legal organ and long running community newspaper. Barlow said advancing these seasoned professionals will reinforce the paper’s stability and bolster the News’ promise for delivering its readers a quality product.
Etris has worked at the News since March 2023. Etheridge rejoined the News in March of this year. She previously worked for the News from 2005-2009.
“I’m looking forward to helping continue the paper’s incredible legacy in this community,” Etris said. “I’m thankful that I will still be working closely with our advertising partners to help them utilize the paper to grow their businesses.”
Etris has over 16 years of experience in media and customer service.
Etris grew up in Acworth, but the mountains of Georgia have always been like a second home to her. “Whether it was celebrating Oktoberfest in Helen, wandering around the shops at Sautee Nacoochee or hiking around Unicoi State Park, it seemed like any time a family trip was planned the destination was always some fascinating place in White County,” Etris said.
In 2009, Etris graduated from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with a concentration in Print Journalism and Photojournalism. At GCSU, Etris first fell in love with newspapers while working on the award-winning student newspaper The Colonnade as a staff reporter, senior photographer, and photo editor. Her photography has won third, second and first place awards at the Georgia College Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
Etheridge has close to 30 years of print journalism under her belt. She has worked for numerous small town newspapers across the state. Before rejoining the News, Ether- idge most recently worked for The Gainesville Times in Gainesville, and the Walton Tribune in Monroe. She has won state level awards for her news writing and columns.
“I am honored and humbled,” Etheridge said. “I am following in the footsteps of some very talented people who came before me. I intend to keep and enhance our standards for fairness and accuracy. We aim to inform, engage and inspire.”
Etheridge’s husband served in the U.S. Air Force, so she and her family have lived in multiple states and overseas.
Mingling with people from other cultures was a priceless experience, Etheridge said.
Before living the life of a military spouse, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Georgia in Athens. Etheridge met her husband, Frank, at UGA. He now serves as the city manager for Lula.