John Talty is the senior sports editor and SEC Insider for Alabama Media Group, the leading statewide news organization—which includes AL.com, The Birmingham News, The Mobile Press-Register, and The Huntsville Times. He is an award-winning journalist who has covered college sports for nearly two decades, with a specific focus on the Southeastern Conference for most of the last decade.

Located in Birmingham, Alabama—the same city the SEC calls home—no one has a better feel for what moves Alabama and SEC football fans than John. He frequently appears on The Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network, the most influential college sports show in the country, and regularly makes appearances on ESPN and Sirius/XM national radio shows. Finebaum has referred to John often on his show as college football’s best writer.

John has primarily covered SEC football since joining The Jackson Clarion-Ledger in 2012. In Alabama, John has written extensively about Saban and his Alabama football program. He has built deep relationships with former players, coaches, and staffers who have shared the same orbit as Saban. John also focused on sports business angles throughout college athletics, regularly writing about TV rights and athletic department finances, among other topics.