The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is pleased to announce the return of longtime reporter Shannon McCaffrey to the newspaper’s politics team.
As the national spotlight on Georgia politics grows, especially during this election year, McCaffery’s addition to the team demonstrates the AJC’s commitment to its readers to provide deep and thoughtful political coverage.
With more than two decades in journalism, she has deep experience reporting and editing government and politics stories at both the state and national level.
McCaffrey worked for The Associated Press in Albany, New York, and Washington D.C.
While at the AP, she covered top national news, including the Sept. 11 attacks and Hillary Clinton’s historic U.S. Senate bid. In Washington, she also covered the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Department of Justice for Knight Ridder Newspapers (which was purchased by McClatchy Newspapers).
In Atlanta, she was The AP’s statehouse correspondent, leading coverage of legislative news and statewide campaigns. She also hit the presidential campaign trail as a key member of The AP’s national political team.
McCaffrey joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2012 and rose to become a senior editor overseeing crime, courts and breaking news coverage.
She is returning to the AJC after more than two years at Emory University, where she worked as senior director of health sciences communications. In that role, she helped manage COVID-19 public health communications.
“I’m excited to return to The AJC,” McCaffrey said. “Local news has never been more vital than it is today. You only need to look at this year’s political contests in Georgia to see how high the stakes are. And that underscores the urgent need for fair and accurate reporting to help citizens make informed decisions.”
She has two daughters and lives in Atlanta’s Grant Park neighborhood. She holds a B.A. from Colgate University and is earning an MFA in narrative nonfiction from the University of Georgia.
McCaffrey can be reached at shannon.mccaffrey@ajc.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the leading journalism organization in the Southeast, focuses its reporting staff on local matters and closely monitors state and local governments, the local economy, entertainment and sports.
Its journalists uncover the truth, protect the public’s right to know and hold community leaders accountable for serving the public. Reporters, editors and photographers aggressively document the region’s moments, milestones and people. Every day, whether in print or on its digital and social platforms, the AJC informs and empowers its readers who value credible, in-depth journalism.
The newspaper traces its roots to 1868, the founding date of The Atlanta Constitution. The Atlanta Journal debuted in 1883. The papers have been under common ownership since 1950 and fully merged in 2001. The newspaper is owned by Cox Enterprises, a family-owned company that has been in Atlanta since 1939. While the newspaper is owned by a private company, its news decisions are made by the journalists in the AJC’s newsroom.
About the Author
