Greetings all, it’s Wednesday March 11. The last 18 months have felt like a nonstop rollercoaster of dramatic changes to federal departments and policies, from sweeping cuts to agencies and programs, to the rollback of health, labor and environmental protections, to the targeting of LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, demonstrators and journalists. There is so much happening right here in the US that I’ve found it challenging to put my remaining news consumption time (and mental health reserves) toward understanding what the Trump administration is doing abroad — even with seismic developments like the new US-Israel war on Iran. While you (and your audiences) may share some of this news fatigue too, there are local questions and local impacts to explore. Here are some of the top Google Trends queries from North Carolina over the last week:

• Why is the US attacking Iran?

• Did Iran surrender?

• How many US casualties in Iran?

• Did Iran bomb the US?

• Did Trump declare war?

Beyond these larger questions, there are local impacts for NC’s military bases and 100,000+ military members, responses from Iranian community members, and concerns about rising gas prices and disruptions to travel and foreign investment. Our friends at Down from DC are also keeping an eye on how the war is affecting people, communities and institutions in North Carolina. If your audience has questions and/or you're covering other local angles, get in touch with them at downfromdc@gmail.com. 

Coming up today:

• “You don’t need a laundry list of accomplishments to become a newsroom leader.” We chat with Maydha Devarajan on her journey from CityView EIC to NYT Editing Resident.
  
  

• 15 days to go! We preview more sessions for the 2026 NC News & Info Summit. Get your tickets before they sell out. 
  
  

• And, momentum continues to build for Local News Day! Learn about what we're brewing up in North Carolina: local proclamations and NC News Cafes, from Murphy to Manteo. 

Before we jump in: are you doing anything special for Sunshine Week? Pass it along and we'll feature it in next week's edition of The Hub.

Glad you’re here, let’s get started.

‘You deserve to be here’
Maydha Devarajan reflects on her journey from NC-based EIC to NYT Editing Resident

This month, North Carolina journalist Maydha Devarajan started a new chapter as one of two Editing Residents at the New York Times. It’s a two-year-long and highly competitive program that provides the opportunity to work across various desks in the NYT newsroom and build all the nuanced skills needed to become leaders in the industry. Devarajan steps into the role with an impressive track record of leadership in North Carolina. 

While studying journalism and medical anthropology at UNC Chapel Hill, Devarajan served in editorial roles and advocated for more equitable and inclusive coverage at The Daily Tar Heel. After graduation in 2022, she reported for the Chatham News & Record and then was selected as a Julian Bond Fellow at the Institute for Southern Studies. Devarajan’s wide-ranging skills in reporting, editing and managing teams then led her to CityView, where she started as managing editor in 2023 and a year later at 24 years old, became Editor-in-Chief, helping guide the team as the publication transitioned to new ownership with The Assembly. In this note to readers last April, Devarajan highlighted CityView’s impact reporting, including on a company that wanted to convert plastic waste to diesel fuel in a predominantly Black and lower-income Fayetteville neighborhood.

“We pursued answers about what that would mean for residents. Our reporting directly informed our community, who came together to learn more about the project and voice their opposition — leading the company to pull out of the location altogether,” wrote Devarajan.

In a short time, Maydha made a big impact here in North Carolina and as she takes on this new opportunity, we wanted to bring you some of her lessons learned: on local news coverage, managing a team, the role of mentors and charting your own path to leadership.

In your former role as CityView’s Editor-in-Chief, what did you learn about local news and information needs?

Maydha Devarajan: I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to work in a few different local newsrooms in North Carolina, ranging in focus from hyperlocal to regional. While those different communities shared the same desire for timely, relevant news, my time at CityView taught me that we can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to information needs. How people consume news and identify trusted messengers is dependent on local historical context, which is impossible to separate from the journalism we produce. One of my favorite parts of being CityView’s editor-in-chief was the coffees I had with people around Cumberland County and Fayetteville. I dug into what news stories resonated with them and why, but I also observed how people shaped the place they live and vice versa. I talked with readers about what worried and excited them about their home—about how Fayetteville changed in the time they lived there and how they hoped it would change in the years to come. All of those conversations provided a richer, more specific lens with which to approach editing at CityView that couldn’t necessarily be directly applied to another newsroom or community. 

Could you share any lessons on managing a team and shaping the newsroom's culture? 

Maydha Devarajan: It helps immensely to like and know the people you work with every day, especially when fostering a positive editor-reporter dynamic. I tried to get to know my staff as people and to understand their individual editing preferences and writing choices, and to share parts of myself with them as well. Relationships aren’t one-sided and I tried to extend that approach to management, being collaborative and transparent with my staff as much as possible, because I remembered most appreciating those traits from the best editors I worked with. 

What advice would you give to other young journalists who want to pursue a path into editing or another leadership position?

Maydha Devarajan: Say yes to new opportunities, develop relationships with people you admire in the industry and try (as much as you can) not to compare your career path to your peers. After graduation, while many of my classmates began working for major outlets across the country, I joined a small weekly paper in Chatham County, North Carolina. That opportunity led me to Bill Horner III, the former editor and publisher, who has become one of my biggest champions and has served as a major throughline in my journalism career. I became a full-time editor at 23 when I was hired as the managing editor at CityView. While I had editing experiences in college, all my previous full-time jobs were reporting positions. I worked hard, but I also had good luck, timing and mentors in North Carolina newsrooms who constantly advocated for me and spoke my name in rooms I was not yet in, until I got there too. You don’t need to have a laundry list of accomplishments to become a newsroom leader or an editor. You will also inevitably encounter scenarios and challenges you’ve never faced. Have faith that people will extend you the same grace you’re likely to extend them and that you’ll come out on the other side wiser and more experienced. There’s also so much to be gained from working in local journalism after college! I’m so grateful for all that the North Carolina news ecosystem gave me, part of which included making the transition from being a reporter to an editor.   

What are you looking forward to with the NYT Editing Residency? 

Maydha Devarajan: I’m really excited about joining a program that treats editing as a craft to be studied and practiced. While there are so many great fellowships and programs focusing on the reporting side of our industry, it feels rare to encounter a program dedicated specifically to training early-career editors. As someone whose editing career has felt a bit unconventional and in which I was often learning on the job, I’m looking forward to the structure of the New York Times Editing Residency. I’m just really excited to get my hands in copy, learn from some of the best in the business and continue to figure out the kind of editor and newsroom leader I want to be.

Anything else to add? 

Maydha Devarajan: It can be easy to fall into rumination cycles in which you question your place in this industry, especially if you’re a woman, young person, or person of color. I’m learning to treat imposter syndrome as something that will ebb and flow, rather than a lifelong fight to eradicate. While it can be helpful to treat your work like there’s always something you can learn or improve upon, you also need people to pick you up while you are down and reassure you of the talent you already possess. I’m lucky to have folks who’ve done that for me, and I would love to be able to do that for others. If you’re a young journalist reading this and doubting if you belong in journalism, please reach out at maydha.devarajan@nytimes.com. You deserve to be here! 

Thank you Maydha for chatting with The Hub during such a busy time and providing these useful and practical insights about careers in local news. We’ll be cheering you on during your NYT Editing Residency and know you’ll continue to make a meaningful impact in newsrooms and communities alike.  

Are you ready to start charting a path in editing? The NYT will open applications for the next cohort of editing residents later this Spring. And, see today’s bulletin board for another editing fellowship with ProPublica.

2 weeks to go before 2026 NC News & Information Summit

This year we’re offering 28 different panels, discussions and workshops for the 2026 gathering, including:

💰 Building High-Impact Donor Fundraising Campaigns for Newsrooms of Any Size with Ned Berke, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of BlueLena.

📝 Lessons Learned from the Immigration Emergencies with Ely Portillo, WFAE; Patricia Ortiz, Enlace Latino NC; Alvaro Gurdián, La Noticia; Brandon Kingdollar, NC Newsline; & Christina Piaia, ProJourn.

💡 From Filings to Stories: Turning Ethics Disclosures Into Local Coverage with Audrey Nielsen, Independent Journalist; Diara J. Townes, NC Local.

And much more! Don’t forget - students get complimentary admission to the Summit! 

Questions? Reach out to catherine@nclocal.org. We can’t wait to see you in Raleigh! 

Local News Day: April 9, 2026

Join NC newsrooms celebrating across the state 

Momentum is building for Local News Day, a national day of action designed to uplift and raise awareness about all the incredible local news and information providers across the country. You can sign up as a news organization, individual or business, nonprofit or government office that supports local news. Get access to trainings (find links to register in today’s bulletin board) and you'll be included in a new national "Local News Locator" tool. 

What are we planning in NC? Local journalists are requesting proclamations from towns and cities across the state declaring 4/9 as "Local News Day" and encouraging residents to recognize and celebrate the importance of local news. We already have several secured, including some that will be presented at council meetings.

Then on April 9th, we're hosting NC News Cafes in cities and towns stretching from Murphy to Manteo, inviting the public to grab a free cup of coffee (or other refreshment), meet local publishers and journalists and share input on the issues that matter most to them.

NC Local will be hosting NC News Cafes in Murphy, Asheville, Burlington, Durham, Sanford and Wilmington. We have other hosts in Charlotte, Cary, Carrboro, Lexington, Nags Head and South Durham. If you’re an independent or a newsroom in those locations, we invite you to partner with us. 

ISO: hosts in other locations! We’d love to see more NC News Cafes across the state to amplify our participatory and partnership-based approach to local news. We have another planning meeting 10/19 at 10 am and will be distributing a promotional toolkit as well.  

What does it mean to host an NC News Cafe? Check out this info sheet and if you have more questions, send me a note at catherine@nclocal.org. 

Thank you partners across the state for your enthusiasm and work on this collaborative initiative! 

Círculo de práctica de periodistas latinos y bilingües

Latino and bilingual journalists circle of practice

NC Local is relaunching a Circle of Practice for Latino journalists with diverse trajectories: migrants and those born in the U.S.; those who work in Spanish, English, or both languages; and those who work in Latino media, bilingual spaces, or in newsrooms where they are sometimes the only Latino voice. Our Circles of Practice are a space for community and reflection about your work in local news and information here in North Carolina.

The circle will meet once a month and will be facilitated by Patricia Serrano, a bilingual journalist and audio producer, currently the Western North Carolina reporter for Enlace Latino NC.

Please fill out this form by Friday March 13 if you'd like to participate. Our first gathering will be in person during lunch at the March 27 NC News and Information Summit in Raleigh. After that, we'll meet virtually from April-July.

NC Local está relanzando el Circle of Practice, un espacio de comunidad y reflexión para periodistas latinos con trayectorias diversas: migrantes y nacidos en EE.UU.; quienes trabajan en español, en inglés o en ambos idiomas; y quienes se desempeñan en medios latinos, en espacios bilingües o en redacciones donde a veces son la única voz latina.

El círculo se reunirá una vez al mes y será facilitado por Patricia Serrano, periodista bilingüe y productora de audio, actualmente reportera del área oeste para Enlace Latino NC.

Por favor completa este formulario antes del viernes 13 de marzo si te gustaría participar en el Círculo de Práctica. Nuestro primer encuentro será presencial durante el almuerzo en el NC News and Information Summit el 27 de marzo en Raleigh. Después de ese encuentro, nos reuniremos de manera virtual de abril a julio.

📰 News about the news 📰

Calls grow for ICE to release journalist Estefany Rodriguez 

INN, Free Press, ONA, Student Press Law Center and dozens of other media organizations and press freedom groups are calling on ICE to release Nashville-based journalist Estefany Rodríguez. ICE arrested Rodríguez March 6 in a parking lot outside the gym she and her husband use one day after she reported on an ICE raid for Nashville Noticias. According to CJR, Rodríguez has a valid work permit and both pending asylum and green card applications. Her lawyer said ICE presented no warrant during the arrest.

“Rodríguez’s detention is part of a broader erosion of democratic norms and human rights in the United States in which immigration authorities are increasingly being used to chill free expression and First Amendment rights. This practice must stop,” wrote the signatories to the joint campaign calling for Rodríguez’s release.

Rodríguez’s attorneys filed an emergency habeas corpus petition to review whether her detention is legal. El Pais reports that District Judge Eli Richardson set a deadline for the Trump administration to respond by this Thursday and has scheduled the first hearing for March 17.

“Rodríguez came to the United States seeking safety from death threats she received for her reporting in her native Colombia and was in the United States legally at the time of her detention,” said CPJ’s Katherine Jacobsen. “The United States has traditionally been a safe haven for journalists fleeing retaliation in connection with their work. With Rodríguez’s case, federal authorities have shown a cruel disregard for this tradition.”

Last year, DHS arrested longtime Atlanta-based journalist Mario Guevara while he was live streaming an ICE protest in Atlanta. Despite his valid work permit and widespread outcry, he was eventually deported to El Salvador. See CPJ’s extensive timeline of Guevara’s case here.

N&O announces new staff, new roles 

The News & Observer hired Esther Frances as its new legislative and lobbying reporter. Joining the politics team, Frances will cover the NC General Assembly and state government and how it affects peoples’ lives. She previously reported for The Frederick News-Post in Maryland, covered politics and LGBTQ+ issues in Delaware as a Steve Elkins Memorial Fellow and produced stories on the environment and energy for Inside Climate News and Medill News Service as a graduate student at Northwestern University.

N&O local government reporter Anna Roman and former McClatchy Real-Time reporter Simone Jasper recently moved into roles on the Service Journalism team. Roman will cover weather, local government utility journalism and answer readers’ questions about life in the Triangle. Jasper will connect people to all things local in the triangle, from schools and small businesses to restaurants and recreation.

And last month, Jane Winik Sartwell stepped into the role of higher education reporter, writing the Higher Stakes newsletter and covering contamination of Poe Hall; cuts to global studies centers; and the investigation into the School of Civic Life.

Welcome to NC Esther and congrats Anna, Simone and Jane on your new roles!

Have something to share about your news and information organization? Send a note to catherine@nclocal.org

 Available for republication 

✅ NC Local: North Carolina still doesn’t have a budget. Here’s how that affects everyday life.

✅ NC Local: Where in North Carolina is ICE looking to expand?
Data and maps show where ICE holds people and where they might establish detention office locations in North Carolina

From our partner network: 

✅ NC Health News: North Carolina reports early progress in Medicaid plan for foster children

✅ NC Newsline: NC has plenty of doctors and nurses to deliver babies, but rural counties still go without

✅ Enlace Latino NC: Cary residents protest possible ICE office during State of Town address

Bulletin Board

Jobs

📌 Chief Development Officer, PBS NC, Durham 💰

📌 Production Director, Cherokee Scout, Murphy

📌 Western Wake County Reporter, The News & Observer, Wake County

📌 Affordability Reporter, The News & Observer, Raleigh/Durham

📌 Transportation Reporter, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte 

📌 Dining, Retail and Culture Reporter and Government Reporter, The Fayetteville Observer

📌 Reporter, The Mountaineer, Waynesville 

📌 Reporter, WFDD, Winston-Salem 

📌 WUNC Listener Services Associate, WUNC, Chapel Hill & Durham 💰

📌 Managing Editor, The War Horse (Remote) 💰

📌 Deputy Research Editor, ProPublica (Remote) 💰

📌 Director of Programs, The Pivot Fund (Remote) 💰

Opportunities, events & resources 

🌱 ProPublica Investigative Editor Training: Up to 10 journalists will be selected for this yearlong investigative editing training program, which includes a weeklong boot camp in New York, virtual seminars and professional development, and a dedicated mentor. Editors will get training in how to manage reporters who are working with data, documents and sensitive sources, including whistleblowers, agency insiders and people who have suffered trauma. Application deadline: March 30.

📅 The Atlantic Across America - North Carolina: As part of its national tour to all 50 states, The Atlantic is teaming up with The Assembly for an event focusing on higher education. The discussion starts with a panel of leaders, including UNC Chapel Hill Chancellor Lee Roberts, NC State Chancellor Kevin Howell, and NC Central Chancellor Karrie Dixon, moderated by WUNC’s Leoneda Inge. Next, Atlantic and North Carolina journalists will share reporting insights on how the state’s economic, political, and cultural shifts are shaping public life in the Tar Heel state and beyond. April 8, American Tobacco Campus, Durham.

📅  Local News Day Trainings: The national team behind Local New Days has organized a series of trainings to help you maximize audience growth for the day of action and beyond. Sign up for Local News Day here to get updates, invites to weekly info sessions and access other resources.

• Training #2: Mar 11 at 2:00 PM ET (Email campaign writing best practices)

• Training #3: Mar 25 at 2:00 PM ET (How to solicit donations - focus on segmenting and messaging)

• Training #4: Apr 14 at 2:00 PM ET (What to do after Local News Day - how to keep the momentum going)

That's it for today, thank you for reading. As always, know you are appreciated for all you do to support the North Carolina local news and information ecosystem.  —Catherine