Community support helps The N&O tell important stories. Why your generosity matters

It’s been a month since I became executive editor of The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun.

Oh, fist bumps and smiles have replaced handshakes and hugs during these masked-up times. But you’ve treated me the way North Carolinians welcome cousins and college friends.

Thank you. I feel welcomed.

Now I need a favor.

(A favor this fast? Well, bless my heart.)

Please accept my sincerity and gratitude. I’m grateful to be in such a supportive community.

These newsrooms’ existence span multiple generations of Triangle residents and the numerous who move here daily. What I’ve learned about the Triangle is you care about where we live and the importance of quality, local journalism.

We’ve asked for community help in the past to sustain our mission, and you’ve responded.

More than 900 individuals and families have contributed to community-supported reporting positions in the past year. The support has come from generous donors, those making monthly contributions and others who offered what they could afford.

For everyone who has made a difference, please accept our thanks and a virtual hug.

Philanthropic and community contributions have allowed The N&O and The Herald-Sun to publish more than 1,000 stories from community-supported staff writers in the past year. The topics included important stories on COVID’s impact, diversity and equity issues, local/state environmental challenges, and the Triangle’s innovation and startup culture.

We also have partnered with news organizations and funders who believe in the importance of investigative journalism that is independent and holds public institutions accountable.

We’re proud that The News & Observer and ProPublica won a recent Online Journalism Award for social justice reporting. In Sound of Judgment, investigative reporter Carli Brosseau and visual journalist Julia Wall spent months reporting in Alamance County, which was one of the nation’s most active Black Lives Matter protest sites after George Floyd’s murder in May 2020.

We hope you’ll spend time with “Rising Tides, Sinking Future,” an extensive report on the impact of rising sea levels and shoreline developments on our beloved salt marshes and coastline. The report is a collaboration between McClatchy newsrooms in the Southeast and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Your support lets us expand our public-interest reporting. That’s why we’re launching our fall fundraising campaign. We need and appreciate your ongoing support.

We’ve partnered with Journalism Funding Partners, which will allow you to make tax-deductible contributions to support our journalism.

You can visit newsobserver.com/donate to make a gift. You can also text RALEIGH to (202) 858-1233 and make a donation via your mobile device.

Or if you prefer to mail a donation, please make checks payable to Journalism Funding Partners. Include “The News & Observer” in the memo line, and include your email address so we can send you an acknowledgment email. Mail the check to: McClatchy, 1601 Alhambra Blvd, Suite 100, Sacramento, CA 95816. (The money will return here.)

I count many fortunate reasons why I’m here -- a company committed to high-quality journalism, a newsroom with dedicated, talented journalists -- but ultimately it’s about the heart finding a home.

It’s an honor to be the editor of your local newspaper.

You’ve made the Triangle feel like home.

Thank you.