Check out these four new initiatives that The News & Observer has launched this year
In January, our noses were runny because of the cranky wind and cold temperatures.
It’s nearly April, and our nostrils still runneth over — although we blame pollen season for the sneezy sensation of being less cold than three months ago.
Still, there’s no reason to dwell on the drippy downside. When in doubt, dab it with a tissue.
After all, this is the best of times.
No matter how Easter weekend plays out — I’m writing this column before the we know the fate of all our Triangle teams in the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments — we are proud of our sports and visual journalists who were in Dallas, Los Angeles and Portland to cover five Triangle teams. It’s evident from our digital audience analytics that you’re paying attention to the coverage.
A timeout here. March Madness doesn’t change print-edition deadlines. But you’re in luck as a subscriber. We’re handling the annoyingly late televised games of Triangle teams with social-media updates, newsobserver.com stories after the buzzer and late-news pages in the Triangle Now section of The News & Observer’s e-edition. (If you’re a subscriber and haven’t discovered our e-edition, log in and click on the Today’s e-edition link on the newsobserver.com home page.)
And during those TV timeouts, check out four news initiatives that we’ve launched for our subscribers this year:
NC Reality Check is an ongoing N&O series holding those in power accountable and shining a light on public issues that affect the Triangle or North Carolina. (Have a suggestion for a future story? Email realitycheck@newsobserver.com) So far, N&O journalists have written 89 “Reality Checks” this year, providing fact-checking accountability reporting on a range of local and state issues. Example: Brian Gordon’s recent Reality Check on Epic Games’ ever-extended headquarters plan in Cary.
Uniquely NC is an N&O subscriber collection of moments, landmarks and personalities that define the uniqueness (and pride) of why we live in the Triangle and North Carolina. You’ll find 63 reasons (and counting) on why where we work, live and play remains brag-worthy. From Triangle barbecue to the official state butterfly, we’re focused on storytelling with style.
NC Inside Look takes subscribers behind the scenes to illuminate the people and places in our community. This collection is new, which explains many behind-the-scenes images from the NCAA basketball tournament. (Is that Coach Davis laughing?) Our goal is to give you access to where our journalists spend their time, getting the stories behind the stories.
In the Spotlight are topics of high interest and driven by N&O reporting. You’ll find stories so far on the UNC chancellor search, the governor’s race, St. Augustine’s future and police settlement cases. It’s journalism focused on enterprise reporting.
On any given day, you’ll find a mix of news from across the Triangle and North Carolina. About state government, the weather, neighborhood issues, transportation and infrastructure, environment, healthcare, real estate developments, restaurants, shops … and especially grocery stores.
Check out the work by Kimberly Cautadella Tutuska, David Raynor, Martha Quillin and Drew Jackson in delivering a smart “Price Check” report comparing three popular wholesale clubs. You’ll never have a civil household discussion again about croissants or hot dogs.
But that’s the fun part — the reporting followed by your discussions. One person’s buttery treat is someone else’s dry cake.
Thank you for subscribing.
The variety of N&O content, from serious to silly, delivered in different ways, is meant to reflect your interests and experiences.
So if my nose is runny and my eyes watery … it’s winter or spring or sappy gratitude.
Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer.
