Lexington Herald-Leader names Lauren Gorla its new managing editor

The Lexington Herald-Leader on Tuesday named Lauren Gorla its new managing editor.

Gorla is currently senior editor at the Ledger-Enquirer in Columbus, Ga., a post she has held since January 2020.

“Lauren is a terrific editor and collaborative newsroom leader who knows how to guide strong journalism while focusing on the needs of digital audiences, whether it’s major breaking news or in-depth investigative work,” said Herald-Leader Editor Peter Baniak.

“I’m excited to get to know the Herald-Leader staff and the city of Lexington over the next few weeks,” Gorla said. “The steadfast commitment to strong local journalism drew me into the paper, and I can’t wait to be part of it. I look forward to acting as a leader and support system for our journalists, and as a community resource for readers who want to have more discussions about what’s important to them and how we can improve our coverage.”

In Columbus, Gorla has guided her newsroom staff throughout the many challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and Georgia’s 2020 elections. She led coverage of a tornado in Beauregard, Alabama that killed 23 people and the one-year anniversary coverage of that tragedy; an investigation into Georgia’s COVID-19 data that exposed major flaws; and a deep dive into troubling homicide trends in Columbus.

Lauren is an alumna of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Ga., and has spent the past 15 years living in Georgia. She joined the Ledger-Enquirer in 2016 as a digital producer and took on larger roles over the years, including as interim senior editor with the Telegraph in Macon and Georgia deputy editor. She was named senior editor of the Ledger-Enquirer in January 2020.

Gorla is co-chair of McClatchy’s first Women Employee Resource Group and was selected for Linkage’s 2021 Women in Leadership Institute. She’s also a graduate of ASNE’s Emerging Leaders Institute.

The Herald-Leader and the Ledger-Enquirer are both owned by McClatchy.

Gorla will join the Herald-Leader in early February as the newsroom adds staff in advance of several new projects, including a refocused Sunday print edition and a new Service Journalism Desk that will help readers navigate the news.

“I’m eager to partner with Lauren to continue the important work of expanding and reshaping our newsroom for a strong future,” Baniak said.

This story was originally published January 11, 2022 at 11:13 AM.