Webb is now publisher/editor

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Jessica Webb
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Staff reports

 

A regular name in the bylines for 8 years now, Jessica Webb will now take the top leadership role at Smoky Mountain Times in Bryson City.

Effective July 4, Webb is now publisher/editor, having previously served as general manager/editor and editor since she began with the Times in May 2018. Prior to that, she was a reporter for two other CNI Newspaper publications in the mountains since December 2010.

“Jessica has had a role in shaping the news coverage and operations of community newspapers in Western North Carolina for the past 12 years," said Rachel Hoskins, regional publisher of the Franklin Region of Community Newspapers Inc. "As general manager and editor at the Smoky Mountain Times she has been the guiding hand of the newspaper that serves Bryson City and Swain County. I am excited to see her take this next step. As publisher/editor of the Smoky Mountain Times, she will help provide the vision and voice of the newspaper and I’m totally confident in her abilities to do so.”

Originally from the greater Cincinnati area, Webb moved to the mountains in 2004 and never looked back!

She and her husband, Luke, have lived in Swain County since 2014 and particularly enjoy hiking in Deep Creek and on Nolands Branch.

The couple met when they were both students at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, where Webb studied English.

When she’s not behind the desk or a camera lens, Webb can also be seen walking in town or on roller skates as “Deadline” with the Smoky Mountain Roller Girls.

Other civic involvement has included serving on the board for Coalition for a Safe and Drug Free Swain County and most recently, she plans to join Rotary Club of Bryson City.

“I love community journalism. It merges my favorite things: writing and civic engagement in a way that continues to hold my interest. Community journalism is the best because no two days are alike,” Webb shared. “I love that even as I take this next step in my career and become the publisher for Smoky Mountain Times, there are days that I get to be a reporter on the street, interviewing new people and constantly learning new things.”

Working in local news, Webb understands the importance of lifting up fellow local businesses.

“I am looking forward to being the publisher and taking a more active role in the business side of things. My goal is to continue to build strong relationships with other small businesses in Swain County and meet shared goals that help us all thrive,” Webb said.

Community Newspapers is proud to have Webb on their team as she continues to advance in the industry.

“Grounded in community journalism, Webb embraces our mission and believes that strong newspapers build strong communities. She and her husband Luke have made Swain County home and she is passionate about preserving its natural resources, growing its business community, and embracing its cultural resources. She has the qualifications and passion to make a lasting impact on Bryson City through her leadership at the Smoky Mountain Times,” Hoskins said.