Morris Communications Company, LLC
William S. “Billy” Morris III is founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Morris Communications Co. and publisher of The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, the company’s first newspaper.
Under Morris’ leadership, MCC has grown to become a diversified, midsize media company operating across the United States and abroad. The privately held company owns and operates newspapers, radio stations, visitor publications, outdoor advertising, magazine and book publishing businesses and online services.
Morris is a leader in the media industry. He has been a president of the Newspaper Association of America and is a past member of the Associated Press board of directors and the Advertising Council Inc. He received the first Bottom Line Award from the Media Management Club of the University of Georgia for his contributions to publications management education at the school and was inducted in the Mass Communication Hall of Fame at Texas Tech University School of Communications.
A strong advocate of giving back to the communities where MCC serves, Morris has received numerous awards including the Greater Augusta Arts Council President’s Award for initiating a study that was instrumental in forming a downtown cultural arts corridor that enhanced revitalization of Augusta’s riverfront.
Morris is chairman of the board of the Morris Museum of Art, which he established in memory of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William S. Morris Jr. In memory of his father, he also established the Eminent Scholars Chair of Art at Augusta State University and the William S. Morris Chair of Newspaper Strategy and Management at the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. In memory of his mother, he has established the Florence Hill Morris Memorial Scholarship at Columbia Theological Seminary, where he currently serves on the board of trustees.
Morris was instrumental in starting the Augusta Futurity, the largest cutting horse competition east of the Mississippi, and he helped found the National Barrel Horse Association and is its chief executive officer.
A native of Augusta, Morris holds a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and was named the 1983 Outstanding Alumnus of the school’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
This person is not in the org chart
This person is not in any teams
This person is not in any offices
Morris Communications Company, LLC
The Morris extensive collection of magazines and books are part of the new Morris Media Network, an exciting new print-digital publishing group that serves highly targeted audiences. Travel The largest segment in this group is the travel category. It encompasses the powerful worldwide Where® brand and digital platform wheretraveler.com. For over 76 years, Where has been the world’s best information source for travelers, fueled with thousands of local listings, travel tools and recommendations by travel experts in the local market. As the ultimate resource for travelers, the Where products reach travelers on every platform including mobile, iPhone, iPad, and Android. Equine The Equine category serves sports men and women bound by their passion for horses. This high-income audience includes Western Horseman (founded in 1936), Quarter Horse News, Barrel Horse News and several other regional and trade publications that have powerful digital components including the award-winning equine portal site HorseCity.com. Regional/Local Regional and Local taps into Morris’s key strength of providing high-quality local content and an attractive, affluent audience. IN New York, Charlotte Magazine, Orlando Magazine, Savannah Magazine, Augusta Magazine and many more make up this strong niche category. Sporting Gray's Sporting Journal is the flagship of the outdoor group and the hallmark of its quality. A premier magazine of the sporting life, Gray's claims international readership and recognition. In 2002 Morris added American Angler, Fly Tyer and Saltwater Fly Fishing magazines to the outdoor group. Lifestyle Women who control $12 trillion in global spending are the foundation for the Lifestyle category. Strong brands such as skirt!® target women locally and nationally and boast strong editorial and robust digital communities. Charlotte Wedding, St. Louis Bride and skirt! magazine are powerful titles in the Morris magazine lifestyle arena. They serve female audiences and advertisers trying to reach them in this very upscale segment.