By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director When Triad City Beat announced late last month that the time had come to shut down, readers weighed in on the role this scrappy news outlet played in the community: This is very sad news…
By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director One of the most innovative local news fundraisers in North Carolina is underway this week. Now in its seventh year, the Daily Tar Heel / Chronicle Rivalry Challenge is both a competition and a collaboration…
By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director President-elect Trump’s threat of mass deportations has been in the national headlines for months. But while no concrete policies or plans have been announced (and carrying out such a threat “on day one” is unlikely),…
By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director Last summer, Corinne Saunders was feeling good. The Outer Banks native and longtime reporter had just gotten word that she was a finalist for two North Carolina Press Association awards, including for a story she…
By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director In the early days of Helene, when we spent our nights in the dark and our days clearing debris, one of the only places to get news and information was BPR. With no cell or…
By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director Pate McMichael, the new director of the NC Open Government Coalition, isn’t daunted by the erosion of government transparency in North Carolina. He sees the rollback as a call to action that motivates him everyday.…
By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director In the wake of hurricanes and floods, devastation often paves the way for remarkable acts of resilience and innovation within communities. That was the case following Hurricane Florence in 2018, when Shoresides was developed to…
By Catherine Komp, NC Local News Workshop engagement director As many continue to process the election results, some journalists are reflecting on the purpose and the value of their work: does my reporting matter? Is it reaching people? Do I…
By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director For decades, Bill Adair’s days and nights have been filled with a quest to promote truth and squash lies. The longtime journalist founded PolitiFact in 2007 as a solution to a news and information gap:…
By Catherine Komp, Engagement Director Thomas Calder can’t quite remember where the idea came from. The managing editor at Asheville’s Mountain Xpress has been thinking about election coverage all year. They always put together a comprehensive voter guide ahead of…