News | North Carolina Press Association

Longtime Observer photographer, ‘one of the great action sports shooters,’ dead at 52

Foster — a cigar-chomping, UNC Tar Heel-loving bear of a man who was an award-winning staff photographer and videographer for the Observer for the better part of three decades — was found … more

5/27/21

Why are Democrats AWOL on public’s right to know?

With no meaningful state law giving North Carolinians the right to see disciplinary records of those they employ in state and local government jobs, how will we ever know? How will we know … more

PAUL MAUNEY and BILL MOSS | 5/20/21

The NCPA rebuttal to NCAE's campaign of misinformation

The NC Press Association 1) corrects the misinformation in NCAE's letter about the public records laws in other states (where virtually complete public access to the entire government personnel file … more

5/10/21

Transparency of operations is a Constitutional issue

Senate Bill 355, legislation that promotes and enhances public access to the performance records of public employees, is generating significant resistance from various state organizations that have … more

Carteret County News Times Editorial | 5/7/21

CNHI acquires The Transylvania Times in North Carolina

MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- CNHI, LLC has acquired The Transylvania Times of Brevard, North Carolina, from The Transylvania Times, Inc., a family-owned company for the past 80 years. The sale … more

5/6/21

Beacon publisher Angie Sutton bids adieu

Spring is my favorite time of year. It’s a reminder of how beautiful change can be. This spring, change for me meant much more than blooming flowers and warm sunshine. It was the start of a new … more

Angie Sutton | 4/30/21

Elizabeth City curfew update for journalists

Elizabeth City Mayor Bettie Parker declared a State of Emergency that was amended on April 27 to impose a city-wide curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. This statement is to clarify that the curfew is not … more

4/29/21

NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS AND NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION VOICE THEIR SUPPORT FOR SENATE BILL 355, THE “GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2021,” AND URGE ITS PASSAGE

The North Carolina Association of Broadcasters (NCAB) 1 and the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA)2 strongly support the Government Transparency Act of 2021 – Senate Bill 355 – … more

4/1/21

Legislation aims to open government personnel records to public

The days of having government employees fade into oblivion without any mention of the misdeeds that led to their dismissal may soon be over in North Carolina if the newly proposed Government … more

AMELIA HARPER | 4/1/21

Editorial: SB 355 would curtail likelihood of rogue public sector employees

Senate Bill 355 — the Government Transparency Act of 2021 — would at last allow the public to see the disciplinary files of public employees, files that have long been held in secret in … more

THE NEWS REPORTER | 3/31/21

Putting rivalry aside, NC newsrooms teamed up to keep the powerful accountable

Accountability journalism is sometimes bigger than competition. That’s been a central tenet of the N.C. Watchdog Reporting Network, a coalition of dozens of reporters and editors at … more

NC WATCHDOG REPORTING NETWORK | 3/31/21

Judge rules Asheville council cannot block public from retreat

A team-building exercise among Asheville City Council members is an “official meeting” and not an “informal gathering” under the law, according to a Buncombe County … more

Kate Martin Carolina Public Press | 3/31/21

Senators push for more transparency in government worker personnel records

A growing number of senators are signing on to a bill that would make more information available to the public on government employee performance. Under Senate Bill 355 , a description of … more

Andrew Dunn. Carolina Journal | 3/30/21

Former Gazette Editor Bill Williams dies

Over the four decades that he helped to shape the identity of Gaston County’s primary source of news, former Editor Bill Williams might have been best known for the weekly, down-to-earth … more

3/29/21

THE GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2021/A BILL TO OPEN STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL RECORDS

Last week, many newspapers wrapped up coverage of Sunshine Week, a time set aside to promote government accountability through public records and public meetings. In North Carolina, the idea of … more

Paul Mauney and Bill Moss | 3/25/21

In Praise of Press Associations’ Advocacy For Newspapers, Openness

As a publisher, I welcomed Sunshine Week in March. It was always a valuable opportunity to account for indispensable news coverage and commentary that shined the light on government actions and … more

Tom Silvestri | 3/16/21

Press Associations Are National Advertisers’ Best Choice

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to buying advertising to reach a national audience. The effective network already exists — and it works just fine, thank … more

The Relevance Project | 3/16/21

Scout adds 2 to news staff

Murphy – The Cherokee Scout , the primary news source for residents of Cherokee and surrounding counties since 1889, has added two new members to the local news team. … more

3/12/21

Let government know who’s boss

When government fails, it’s the rare public official who says, “Oops. My fault.” That’s human nature, particularly for officials in the public eye who may have to run for … more

Ken Paulson | 3/8/21

National Newspaper Association First Amendment Award Goes to North Carolina Publisher Tom Boney

National Newspaper Association will recognize the publisher of the Alamance News, Graham, NC, with its First Amendment Award on March 18, during Sunshine Week. The award will be presented … more

Tonda Rush, National Newspaper Association | 3/2/21