Good morning all, it’s Wednesday May 20. It’s been a minute since I’ve updated you all on a vital project NC Local is a part of: Emergency Mode for News. We’ve been partnering with OpenNews and Newspack to create resources for newsrooms to better prepare for climate-related disasters and extreme weather, everything from hurricanes and floods to the recent drought and ice storms we experienced here in North Carolina over the last six months. 

EMFN, funded by a Press Forward Infrastructure grant, will include peer-learning cohorts as well an “Action Pack” of resources anyone can put to use: adaptable templates; checklists for editorial and operations planning for different types disasters (written by journalists with first hand experience) and case studies on community engagement, capacity planning and trauma-informed practices. 

All that is coming out soon. This week two other aspects of the project launched that we wanted to highlight for you:

📩 EMFN newsletter: helmed by EMFN Community Manager Massarah Mikati, the newsletter will share spotlights and resources to help newsrooms and independent journalists cover disasters, and work to build a community of helpers. “So many of us move through different climate disasters in silos,” writes Massarah. “Our goal is to bring you together in a network of support, insight and expertise. This work is hard, and it’s even harder when you’re alone. Our hope is that EMFN will help ease that burden.”

🌱EMFN scholarships: Could a $1,000 stipend help you or your newsroom with emergency planning or disaster preparedness? Apply by June 1 for EMFN’s first microgrant, which you can use to pay for training, attending or planning an event, gathering emergency supplies or other uses that level up your ability to respond to severe weather and climate-related disasters. 

We hope you sign up for one or both and look forward to sharing the official launch of the resources next month.

In the mix for today:

• Report for America announces 70+ new corps members, including an accountability reporter who will work with NC Local and partner with news orgs across the state.
  
  

• Paxton eliminates positions at WNC community newspapers, including the jobs of two publishers who've been serving their communities for decades.
  
  

• IWMF is partnering with WFAE and NAHJ Charlotte to host two in-person safety trainings, one in Spanish and a second in English. Register by June 1. 
  
  

• Just a few tickets left for tomorrow’s CJC Local News Impact Summit 2026. Tickets are free, but you must register in advance

A quick housekeeping note: The Hub is taking a break next week, but we’ll be back in your inboxes on June 3rd.

Glad you’re here, let’s get started.

Ryan Oehrli joins NC Local as Report for America corps member

NC Local is thrilled to announce that Ryan Oehrli is joining the team as a Report for America Accountability Reporter. Ryan will be taking an investigative approach to statewide issues, tracking policy decisions, funding sources and answering questions from audiences across a range of issues. 

“We are grateful for our partnership with Report for America and their support for our mission to help more North Carolinians understand what's shaping our state—and their communities,” said NC Local Founder and CEO Shannan Bowen. “Ryan joins us from Charlotte, with roots in Eastern NC, bringing knowledge of different types of communities we serve and expertise in reporting on criminal justice in our state."

Most recently, Ryan been serving as a criminal justice reporter at The Charlotte Observer. He’s covered ICE and Border Patrol operations, the political fallout from a killing on a city train, and Hurricane Helene. He also worked at the Asheville Citizen Times and several Mississippi outlets. 

Report for America announced today the placement of Ryan and 77 other journalists in 73 newsrooms across the country. 

“Our model is designed not only to place talented reporters where they are needed most, but also to deepen community trust and build a more sustainable future for local news,” said Kim Kleman, executive director at Report for America.

Report for America has placed more than 800 journalists with local newspapers, public radio stations, digital platforms, and television outlets across the country since its launch in 2017, including dozens in North Carolina. 

Estefanía Pinto Ruiz will also be joining Enlace Latino NC as a Democracy, Immigration and Community Affairs Reporter.  

Ryan, Estefanía and all the other 2026-2027 corps members begin their new roles in July.

📰 News about the news 📰

New owner of WNC papers eliminates publisher positions

Paxton Media Group is eliminating the positions for Cherokee Scout Publisher David Brown and Clay County Progress Publisher Becky Long, along with publisher roles at two Northern Georgia papers. Paxton acquired seven Western North Carolina papers about six weeks ago, purchasing them from Community Newspapers, Inc.

Brown has worked for Cherokee Scout for 23 years, and Long for Clay County Progress for about 40 years, starting first as a type setter, then moving into reporting and advancing to publisher in 1992. 

“We are a community newspaper because of our community because we walk hand in hand with them,” said Long in a 2021 interview.  “Without them we wouldn't have been able to fill pages… even just these little clippings, some kid caught the biggest fish — that can have an impact later on, just giving them confidence and everybody saw their accomplishment.”

Following the job cuts, Franklin Press Publisher Rachel Hoskins will step into the role of regional publisher overseeing six WNC newspapers in addition to the two in Northern Georgia serving Blue Ridge and Ellijay. Cherokee Scout Editor Randy Foster will

oversee news operations at the Scout.

Readers of some of the papers have raised other concerns following Paxton’s purchase, including changes made when they moved printing from The Mountain Press in Franklin to two regional press facilities located in High Point, NC and Sevierville, TN.

In a piece to readers addressing concerns about smaller font, dark pictures and ink streaks, The Franklin Press acknowledged the degraded quality and said they are working with the new printers in High Point to make changes. They also said how they cover the news in Franklin and Macon County has not changed:

“We remain committed to providing local news just like we always have. Our new owners are not in the newsroom dictating what stories we cover or how we cover them. The Franklin Press operates independently just as we did before. The Kentucky family that owns the Press has been in the newspaper business since 1896. They understand what it means to run a local newspaper and that each paper reflects its own unique community.”

NC Local sent Paxton Media Group some questions in response to the job cuts. We’ll update you if and when we get a response.

New staff & roles for N&O team

The News & Observer's Renee Umsted is moving from the service journalism team to the new Affordability beat. Umsted had already been examining the cost of living, working with the team to create an interactive database comparing prices of common items across 16 grocery stores. Recently, she looked at ways to find the best gas prices. Umsted is soliciting reader input for her next pieces asking: Which expenses are making your eyes pop? How are you cutting costs? What are the budget issues keeping you up at night? Let Renee know what you're hearing or just say hi at rumsted@newsobserver.com. 

The N&O also welcomed Faith Wardwell to the breaking news team. A recent graduate of George Washington University, Wardwell covered breaking news and politics in the nation’s capitol as an intern for Politico and NBC news. She also spent nearly four years at the GW Hatchet, finishing her time there as managing editor. In her welcome post, Wardwell writes that with a Dad who was a news director, she grew up in a home immersed in local news and learned from an early age the "rhythm and pace of journalism — what questions to ask and when, and how to find the truth when the headlines get loud." You can reach Faith at faith.wardwell@newsobserver.com.

Local news research hub launching Thursday

For the researchers, development staff, funders and everyday news nerds in the room: there is a new resource that makes finding and filtering local news research a lot easier.

Syracuse University and Rebuild Local News teamed up on the Local News Research Hub. You can search by discipline (communications, economics, political science, etc); topics (business models, communication connection, polarization, etc) and study type.

SU Professor Joshua Darr told Nieman Lab that this research can be helpful for news organizations making a case to nontraditional news funders, like community foundations.

 “It has to be much more of a nuanced argument about community health, community vibrancy, community economic success, and it’s a lot to ask each newsroom to show their own individual, unique impact in that way as they’re trying to build,” said Darr. “That’s where I think academic research can have a positive effect on the ability to make that argument.”

The Research Hub curates local news research, linking out to various academic journals - so you’ll still need to navigate various log ons, interfaces and user experiences to read the research. The Hub does provide a human-reviewed AI summary of each piece they feature.

What do families and children in Winston-Salem need to thrive?

The wellbeing of children and families is a top issue in Forsyth County. Education and early childhood development is under-funded. Health, housing, transportation and economic mobility remain key issues. And public safety has been a top concern, made even more urgent following a deadly shooting involving teens in April. 

To better understand how local news can support families with their information needs, NC Local has been convening community groups to plan an upcoming listening session on June 4: It Takes a Village: Helping Winston-Salem’s families and children thrive

We’re partnering with How are the Children?, Partnership for Prosperity at Action4Equity, Forsyth County Assoc. of Educators, Radio Onda de Amor and YEP!, along with local journalists from WFDD, The Assembly, Down from DC and The Center for Just Journalism. We’ll be gathering community members to ask: 

• What concerns and priorities do parents and young people have? 

• What resources would help them and what questions do they want answered?

• What solutions are they creating to temporarily fill gaps? 

• How can local news organizations provide information that furthers understanding of key issues, policies, and decisions that impact families and young people living in Forsyth County?

Want to attend or know a parent, guardian or young person who’d like to contribute to the conversation? Please register here. We’ll be providing interpretation in Spanish and English. 

Bulletin Board

Jobs

📌 Reporter, NC Newsline, Raleigh💰

📌 Editor-in-Chief, Asheville Watchdog 💰

📌 Executive Director, NC Health News (Remote in NC) 💰

📌 Executive Editor, Restoration Media, Wilson 

📌 Reporter, The Sanford Herald, Sanford

📌 Staff Writer, Smoky Mountain News, Waynesville

📌 Public Programming Director, The Assembly (Remote in NC, Triangle preferred)

📌 Deputy Director, Audience and Growth, The Assembly (Remote in NC, Triangle preferred)

📌 Local Government Reporter, INDY/The Assembly, Durham 💰

📌 Reporter/multimedia journalist, The Enterprise, Spring Hope

📌 Freelance Bilingual Journalist, Enlace Latino NC, Jackson and Macon Counties 💰

📌 Freelance Bilingual Journalist, Enlace Latino NC,  Burke County 💰

📌 Senior Business Operations Manager, News Revenue Hub (Remote) 💰

📌 Executive Director, Education Writers Association (Remote) 💰

📌 Senior Editor, Local and Engagement, The Marshall Project (Remote) 💰

Opportunities & events

🌱 Elections Accountability Cohort: Muckrock has 2 spots left in this cohort and is looking for newsrooms in competitive states, including North Carolina, to apply. MuckRock will equip local journalists in the cohort with the investigative resources needed to deeply cover pivotal races and their impact on communities. The newsrooms get access to hands-on research support, investigative consult calls, skills-building workshops and real-time research support in addition to a premium MuckRock account for requesting and analyzing public documents. Application deadline: June 10.

📅 2026 Hurricane Season — What You Need to Know Ahead of NOAA’s Outlook: On May 21, NOAA will issue its first prediction for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, highlighting how a forecasted strong El Niño could impact tropical development this year. Ahead of the  announcement, join Covering Climate Now and Climate Central to understand the factors, both natural and human-caused, influencing this hurricane season. Meteorologists and reporters from hurricane-prone areas will highlight how to examine climate change’s “fingerprint” on warm ocean waters, provide expert analysis of what 2025’s hurricanes can tell us about this season, and explore tips to effectively make the climate connection when reporting on this year’s forecast. Today/Wednesday May 20, 1:00 pm.

📅 Low ticket alert!  CJC Local News Impact Summit 2026: The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative’s 5th annual gathering on May 21 brings together journalists, community leaders, nonprofits, and residents for a day of conversation, connection, and action. Tickets are free, but you must register in advance. Tomorrow/Thursday May 21, 10:00-4:00 pm at Queens University. 

📅 NYT Local Investigations Fellowship Applicant Q&A Webinar: Do you have an ambitious local investigative story idea that needs time, resources, and—most importantly—the right editing support to pull off? Applications for the 2027-28 class of The New York Times's Local Investigations Fellowship will open July 1, 2026. Join a webinar to learn about what the team looks for in local investigative pitches. You'll also be able to ask questions anonymously. Tomorrow/Thursday May 21, 5:00 pm.

📅 Psychological safety as a tool for collaboration: Local news organizations are working to better engage younger and more diverse audiences, but new products or reporting alone aren’t enough. Creating psychologically safe spaces is essential for encouraging honest dialogue. In this interactive and self-reflective session, API’s Sam Ragland will guide participants through exploring how psychological safety shows up within their teams — and how it directly impacts their ability to build meaningful relationships with the communities they serve. May 26, 1:00 pm.

📅 IWMF Newsroom Safety Trainings in Charlotte: IWMF is partnering with WFAE and NAHJ Charlotte to host two safety trainings, one in Spanish and a second in English. Workshops include live-action training covering risk assessment, personal security, legal protection, mental health care, and more. Participating newsrooms and their journalists will have access to additional IWMF offerings including safety policy support, emergency assistance, and one-on-one consultations. The Spanish one-day safety training is Monday, June 15 and the English one-day training is June 16. Registration deadline: June 1.

That's it for this week, thank you for reading! I didn't have room today, but stay tuned for a report back from last week's Collaborative Journalism Summit in Philly, along with sharing the journalism event toolkit we put together for our session. As always know you are appreciated for all you contribute to the NC news and information ecosystem!  —Catherine