Matthew Osborne, editor of The Northeast Georgian since Nov. 2019, died suddenly Tuesday morning at his home in Cornelia. He was 47.
Osborne was a professional journalist for 25 years, starting in 1999 as a sports writer at the Lake City (Fla.) Reporter after graduating from George Washington University in Washington. From there, he served his communities as editor/publisher of The Graham Star in Robbinsville, N.C.; sports editor and news editor of the Richmond County Daily Journal in Rockingham, N.C.; sports editor and editor of The Trentonian in Trenton, N.J.; and editor of the Cherokee Scout and Andrews Journal from 2014-19.
“Matthew was a dedicated family man and editor,” said Alan NeSmith, chairman of Community Newspapers Inc. “He was always fair in his reporting, well respected in the communities he served and a friend to those in need. The CNI family is heartbroken over this tragic loss.”
Osborne won numerous state and regional awards during his career, but preferred to focus on serving local readers. He was well known for his objectivity.
“Matthew’s good work speaks for itself,” said David Brown, publisher of the Scout, who hired Osborne three times at three different newspapers over the years. “More importantly, Matthew is one of the finest men I’ve ever known, and we will dearly miss him.”
Osborne is survived by his wife, Samantha Sinclair, editor of the White County News in Cleveland, who met her future husband when they worked together in Lake City. They have three boys – Hunter, Cal and Ollie.
The cause of death is still unknown. Services have not been scheduled yet.