Mike Smith Departs FW Publishing

After nearly three decades working at the Nashville Scene, president and publisher Mike Smith is resigning from FW Publishing — the parent company of the Scene, Nfocus, the Nashville Post and the Williamson Scene.

“I'm enormously proud of what we've built together,” says Smith. “The Nashville Scene, Nfocus, the Williamson Scene and the Nashville Post aren't just publications to me — they're a record of this city's conscience, told by people who actually show up to Metro Council meetings so the rest of us don't have to. We've grown events that turned readers into a community and turned a community into something that shows up for each other. That's not small. That's the whole point.”

Smith first joined the Scene’s advertising department in 1997. After departing to launch a new company, he returned in 2020 as the alt-weekly's publisher. Soon after, he was promoted to company president.

“The most important thing we have is the trust of our readers and our commitment to independent journalism,” says Mike Freeman, co-owner of FW Publishing. "Mike Smith understood that and helped protect that independence. I’m grateful for his dedication to these publications. Our responsibility now is to carry that commitment forward and build a strong future rooted in trusted, independent local journalism.”

Moving forward, longtime media executive Eddie Tyner will serve as FW Publishing’s president.