Photo caption: The ribbon is cut on the new Center for Collaborative Journalism in Macon. Among those pictured are (far right to left) Mercer University President Bill Underwood, CCJ Director Tim Regan-Porter, and GPB President and Executive Director Teya Ryan (Adam Ragusea / GPB News)

MACON, Ga. — From a podium outside the new Center For Collaborative Journalism, Mercer University president Bill Underwood read aloud words mounted in the vestibule behind him: the complete First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

"We formally dedicate this center, and those who work, teach, and study in it, to advance the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment," he said.

The new building houses a collaboration between Mercer, The Telegraph of Macon, and GPB. It has been in operation since August, but representatives from all three organizations and the foundations that helped fund the building held a ceremonial ribbon cutting Friday.

"We have a private university, we have a commercially-based entity in the Telegraph, and a public media entity all coming together," said Teya Ryan, president and executive director of GPB. "Take a moment to think about that because I don't know anywhere else where that is happening."

GPB has a pre-existing radio bureau around the corner from the new CCJ building, which is being reinforced with new staff to participate in the collaborative.

"We hope what we're doing now is setting the stage to give back to the Macon and Middle Georgia community what you have given to us," Ryan said.