In a busy week of important news stories, take a moment to stop and pet a dog or cat

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, The News & Observer’s Capitol Bureau chief, had a great week.

If Dawn was a basketball player — for her beloved Virginia Tech Hokies, of course — her workweek was akin to playing in the Final Four and scoring 34 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and hitting the game-winner jumper while being fouled.

Beyond all the stories she published during a frenetic legislative week, Dawn also petted “good” dogs and saved kittens.

Grumble, tsk-tsk or even nod approvingly at The N&O (for whatever reason), and then realize our journalists have something in common with y’all.

We’re a pet-friendly community.

We’re a pet-friendly newsroom.

Accountability and animals

Audience data tell the truth. In The N&O’s quest to connect you to journalism with impact, you want accountability stories AND tail-wagging tales.

No leash needed to walk through last week’s choices. Ask Dawn.

You’ll find accountability gems, such as Dawn’s story on how quickly lawmakers reacted when she reported on a curious six-figure pension provision.

Wrote Dawn: “After The News & Observer published a story Thursday morning shining a light on a budget provision that would cost the state $642,000 for giving one person a more lucrative pension, the provision was removed from the budget that afternoon.”

If you’re on Twitter, you need to follow @dawnbvaughan as a news feed and pet positivity stream.

There was Dawn, after sitting for hours in an appropriations committee hearing on Thursday, tweeting the joy of walking outside and seeing a pack of dogs graciously accepting ear rubs.

The day before, Dawn spotted a kitten around the Capitol press room. This tweet succinctly wrapped up Dawn’s adventure: “#ncga #ncpol press kittens update. Cat rescuers will safely trap mom cat and help everyone.”

A range of stories that resonate

Each day, our digital audience dashboard tells us which stories are catching your attention. Among top-performing stories last week —such as permit-free handguns and Raleigh homeless camps — were tales of great white sharks hanging out along the Outer Banks and the Wake County Animal Center trying to find a “forever” home for best buddies Cinnamon the goat and Felix the dog.

Hui Yang recently joined the UNC-Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media as assistant director of its Global, Immersive and Professional Programs. He reached out to The N&O, hoping that we’d host a group of international scholars from Korea. We quickly obliged.

The international scholars were journalists who spoke English, which is why our gathering on Thursday quickly evolved from polite exchanges to shop talk about the state of the media (and, strangely, Elon Musk).

We discussed digital journalism trends in our countries, but the conversation also turned to everyday stories that pique reader interests — such as recycling practices and our love of wildlife.

Investigative journalism? Yes. Readers want it.

But the story that interested readers the most in March? Ah, the migratory habits of hummingbirds in North Carolina.

Here in the Triangle, we channel our own version of Dr. Peter Venkman. There is no ghosting about critter coverage.

Dogs and cats living together? No human sacrifice! No mass hysteria! Just …. NEWS?

Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer. His favorite neighborhood dogs are named Franklin, Widget and Rosie.