Shown above is the opening spread of Our State magazine's story highlighting print journalism in North Carolina and featuring The Paper's success story.
Shown above is the opening spread of Our State magazine's story highlighting print journalism in North Carolina and featuring The Paper's success story.
In its September 2024 edition, Our State magazine features The Paper as one of three “small-town newspapers (that) make a major impact by reporting on the people and events that shape local communities.”
Earlier in the year, "Our State" writer Lisa Sorg contacted The Paper and said it was selected as one of three North Carolina “snappy and resilient community weeklies” that are “devoted to serving their readers in defiance of national trends.”
Our State chose one newspaper from each of North Carolina’s three regions: coastal, central and western. The two other publications were The Pamlico News (Oriental, N.C.) and The Randolph Hub (Asheboro, N.C.).
Sorg interviewed The Paper’s Publisher Allen VanNoppen in May. Two photographers from the Greensboro-based magazine visited The Paper’s downtown Morganton newsroom in June.
“While many papers offer a digital subscription, their core readers want their news in print,” Sorg wrote in "Our State." “They treasure the ritual of unfolding the paper and spreading it on the breakfast table. They want to see photos of their children and grandchildren spiking a volleyball or accepting a diploma. They want to clip out stories and paste them in scrapbooks, their fingertips stained with ink.”
Since its launch in February 2023, The Paper has emerged as Burke County’s largest and only home-delivered, all-local, locally owned print and digital newspaper.
“Is print dead?” Sorg wrote. “Publications like The Paper in Burke County that showcase high-quality community journalism are proving otherwise.”
“'Our State’s' recognition is fabulous,” VanNoppen said. “Our readers know that The Paper is the result of a team of dedicated, qualified journalists who understand the importance of responsible community journalism practiced professionally. This award-winning team brings to readers quality and thorough local news that they cannot find elsewhere.”
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.