From The Tribune staff reports
TRUSSVILLE — Bobby Mathews has been named sports editor of The Tribune. Mathews is a veteran journalist and was previously sports editor at The Troy Messenger and The Statesboro (Ga.) Herald.
Bobby Mathews.
“We’re excited to have Bobby join the Tribune staff,” said Publisher Scott Buttram. “He’s got great experience in local journalism that I know our readers will appreciate. Let’s be honest, when it comes to prep sports, it’s pretty hard to top the schools in The Tribune coverage area and Bobby is the perfect person to tell the stories of our communities. I think we’re very fortunate to have him here.”
Mathews brings a history of impressive sports coverage, including helping the Herald to a General Excellence award during his time there, and taking top honors for the sports section, as well as a second-place award for sports column-writing. He has also won multiple Alabama Associated Press Managing Editors awards for his work covering Charles Henderson High School athletics in Troy. He has also won awards for his feature writing and opinion columns.
“I’ve always believed that community journalism matters,” Mathews said. “Smaller papers like The Tribune have the ability to think big while staying local, adjusting to challenges in ways that bigger papers can’t. Trussville and the seven other cities we cover are so invested in their student-athletes, and I can’t wait to find the great stories that I know are here.”
In addition to his work in sports, Mathews will use his other experience leading newsrooms in Wyoming, Georgia and Alabama to pitch in on the news side of the Tribune when called upon.
“He really hit the ground running on his first day,” The Tribune managing editor Erica Thomas said. “Bobby quickly began to infuse himself into the community, on the news and sports side of things. He really cares about telling the stories of individuals in our community.”
Mathews is a native of Enterprise, and graduated from Troy University with a B.A. in journalism. He is the author of two novels set in Birmingham. Living the Gimmick (2022) and Magic City Blues (2023) are forthcoming from independent publisher Shotgun Honey. He lives with his wife and two sons in suburban Birmingham. Mathews can be reached at bobby.mathews@trussvilletribune.com or on Twitter: @bobbymathews.
