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FROM STAFF REPORTS

COLUMBIANA – Shelby County Newspapers, Inc. (SCNI) has named Alec Etheredge the company’s next president and publisher.

He will step in as the media company’s first new publisher and president in more than two decades, taking the reins from Tim Prince, who served in the position since 2002.

Prince will now take over as Carpenter Media Group’s president and CEO after serving both SCNI and Boone Newsmedia in different capacities, including senior vice president.

“I clearly have big shoes to fill,” Etheredge said. “Tim has been instrumental in my managerial growth, as was my boss before him, Daniel Holmes, and I hope to make them proud in this next step. They have made Shelby County Newspapers one of the top media companies in this state, and I look forward to doing everything I can to carry on that tradition.”

Prince said it was a bittersweet moment, but he is excited for the future and to leave SCNI in good hands after pouring nearly 22 years into its publications.

“As I transition from Shelby County Reporter to my new role as president and CEO of Carpenter Media Group, I want to express my deep gratitude to my past and present colleagues,” Prince said. “Over the past two decades, their exceptional talent, unwavering dedication and deep commitment to our community have not only shaped our success, but have also profoundly impacted my life. Their contributions have made a lasting difference in our community, creating a legacy of journalistic excellence that I am proud to have been a part of. I am eternally thankful for the support, inspiration and friendship they have provided, and I look forward to carrying these values and experiences into my new opportunity.”

Etheredge, a 2016 graduate of the University of Alabama, has been with SCNI since 2016, working in the newsroom before taking over as general manager.

He started as a staff writer during the summer of his final semester at Alabama, covering cities throughout Shelby County as well as areas of Chilton County for the Clanton Advertiser.

In the fall of 2016, he took over as the sports reporter and was promoted to sports editor a year later in 2017. During that time, he managed sports coverage for the company’s five weekly papers and digital platforms.

Etheredge took over as SCNI’s managing editor in 2020, leading the newsroom through the COVID-19 pandemic and managing day-to-day operations of the editorial staff.

During his time in the newsroom, he wrote a record number of APA-winning pieces for the paper in both news and sports, while the team continued a longstanding tradition of winning the APA’s General Excellence award—a streak now at 17 years in a row.

In July 2022, he was named general manager to fill the shoes of Holmes, who is now with AmFirst.

Etheredge has led the day-to-day operations of SCNI since, which includes one of Boone Newsmedia’s largest call centers, a design center and a newsroom now handling three weekly papers, six magazines and much more.

“I have lived in Shelby County my entire life, growing up on the county line in Leeds before moving to Hoover in eighth grade and now growing my family in Chelsea,” Etheredge said. “To say Shelby County is important to me is an understatement. It is my home and this organization has gotten everything I have for the last seven years. I will continue to strive to make sure we are doing everything in our power as a team to put the best out for the people of this county and that the products we have outside of the county match that same passion.”

Etheredge and his wife Sabrina recently celebrated five years of marriage together and live in Chelsea with their chocolate lab. Their parents both live in the county, while Alec graduated from Spain Park High School in 2010 and Sabrina from Oak Mountain High School in 2011.

“It takes a lot of hard work, but we have a staff that continues to go above and beyond,” Alec said. “I am excited to see them continue to grow and help take our products to the next level as we look to continue to provide the best print products in the state as well as grow our digital footprint. This is an exciting opportunity that I won’t take lightly.”

To contact Shelby County Newspapers, Inc, call 205-669-3131 or email alec.etheredge@shelbycountyreporter.com.