John Edwards was publisher of The Smithfield Times prior to his retirement in 2019. He is a former president of Virginia Press Association and a recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award. He served as a Senate appointee to FOIA legislative studies in 1988 and again in 1998 and was a charter member of the Freedom of Information Advisory Council. He chaired the press/broadcast committee that created VCOG. He is a recipient of the George Mason First Amendment Award and is a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. He continues to write weekly columns for The Smithfield Times.