I left the Charlotte Observer (same parent as N&O) for similar reasons. But my fiancee takes the Winston-Salem Journal (owned by a different conglomerate) and I have been very favorably impressed with what the Winston-Salem Journal is doing these days: more emphasis on deserving local news on the front page, but then good national coverage and op-ed on the inside. I'm hoping that this means that the Winston-Salem Journal lasts for a while.
Our local paper here in Kennewick, WA, The Tri-City Herald, is also owned by McClatchy, and I ended my subscription for the same reasons. I also had a difficult time contacting customer service and difficulty even ending the subscription. My husband ended up visiting, in person, the magnificent building they were in (they have since sold it and moved out, so I don't even know where they are now) to demand they end our subscription. So they did, and it wasn't long before someone called me to try to talk me into starting it again. Of course I wasn't going to do that, not after the experience I had with them. There is an alternative paper in our area, Tumbleweird, that leans pretty far left, and most of the articles have been written by unpaid staff in first person. The local TV news is okay enough for presenting the scantest information about what's going on in the area - nothing in-depth. The local public radio, which is broadcast from Pullman, has interesting local stories, but the announcers have an annoying habit of mispronouncing common words and seem to have difficulty with subject/verb agreement when they speak even when they have pre-recorded something and have had time to look up correct grammar and usage. The Tri-City Herald seems to provide the best coverage of our local nuclear waste site, but other than that, it is not worth it. I hope if the contamination leaks or gets into the Columbia River, the public radio station will announce it.
My main beef with the N&O is that the ability to comment on stories has been off for months while they try to "improve" it. WAPO and NYT allow for comments, seemingly without problems. We are in the most important political cycle in decades, yet readers are not able to respond, or refute, news events and opinions.
Tom-- I have subscribed to the N&O online for a number of years and have had no problems. If you are trying to combine print and online, perhaps that combo is harder to make work. My only complaint is that when the N&O notifies me about an article via email, the link provided takes me to Safari on my phone instead of the N&O app which means that I have to log in. The app on my iPhone works nicely although new stories may not be uploaded as quickly as I would like. The N&O writers generally reply to my emails about their stories (I try not to write too often). I wonder if I get that attention because I am an online subscriber.
The N&O is absolutely a force for good in North Carolina. A range of voices are offered on the editorial page but the editorial slant overall is quite progressive which is reflected in the stories that are covered and how they are written.
I agree and have the same experience re having to log in. I’ve called them but had my call dropped after a long conversation and did not call back. I subscribe to two of their papers in line. The N&O and the island Packet in Hilton Head which gives a heads up in the comings and goings in SC. You can negotiate pricing for online access. Make sure you do that.
I have heard that the N&O subscriber services via phone are terrible. I have had no need to call them, however. They keep hitting my credit card and I keep having ready online access. I wish their email notifications would take me to the app where I do not have to login to read the stories.
I made a list of more than a dozen NC-based Substacks, believing that "sense of place" matters in politics and literature, and helps shape us, though that is easy to forget in the Internet age. https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/substack-goes-local-or-at-least-statewide
Maybe you can help me by adding others.
I left the Charlotte Observer (same parent as N&O) for similar reasons. But my fiancee takes the Winston-Salem Journal (owned by a different conglomerate) and I have been very favorably impressed with what the Winston-Salem Journal is doing these days: more emphasis on deserving local news on the front page, but then good national coverage and op-ed on the inside. I'm hoping that this means that the Winston-Salem Journal lasts for a while.
The Daily Tarheel is really kicking it up a notch these days for local and state news. Give them a whirl and see what you think.
Our local paper here in Kennewick, WA, The Tri-City Herald, is also owned by McClatchy, and I ended my subscription for the same reasons. I also had a difficult time contacting customer service and difficulty even ending the subscription. My husband ended up visiting, in person, the magnificent building they were in (they have since sold it and moved out, so I don't even know where they are now) to demand they end our subscription. So they did, and it wasn't long before someone called me to try to talk me into starting it again. Of course I wasn't going to do that, not after the experience I had with them. There is an alternative paper in our area, Tumbleweird, that leans pretty far left, and most of the articles have been written by unpaid staff in first person. The local TV news is okay enough for presenting the scantest information about what's going on in the area - nothing in-depth. The local public radio, which is broadcast from Pullman, has interesting local stories, but the announcers have an annoying habit of mispronouncing common words and seem to have difficulty with subject/verb agreement when they speak even when they have pre-recorded something and have had time to look up correct grammar and usage. The Tri-City Herald seems to provide the best coverage of our local nuclear waste site, but other than that, it is not worth it. I hope if the contamination leaks or gets into the Columbia River, the public radio station will announce it.
My main beef with the N&O is that the ability to comment on stories has been off for months while they try to "improve" it. WAPO and NYT allow for comments, seemingly without problems. We are in the most important political cycle in decades, yet readers are not able to respond, or refute, news events and opinions.
The NYTIMES and WAPO cutoff comments too soon
I left for similar reasons. Who are some of the Substack folks you read?
I’ve had issues accessing N&O content since I started trying when I moved to NC 5 years ago. Weird.
I really hate that the I and o are next to each other and that I don’t take the time to look at what I write
Tom-- I have subscribed to the N&O online for a number of years and have had no problems. If you are trying to combine print and online, perhaps that combo is harder to make work. My only complaint is that when the N&O notifies me about an article via email, the link provided takes me to Safari on my phone instead of the N&O app which means that I have to log in. The app on my iPhone works nicely although new stories may not be uploaded as quickly as I would like. The N&O writers generally reply to my emails about their stories (I try not to write too often). I wonder if I get that attention because I am an online subscriber.
The N&O is absolutely a force for good in North Carolina. A range of voices are offered on the editorial page but the editorial slant overall is quite progressive which is reflected in the stories that are covered and how they are written.
I agree and have the same experience re having to log in. I’ve called them but had my call dropped after a long conversation and did not call back. I subscribe to two of their papers in line. The N&O and the island Packet in Hilton Head which gives a heads up in the comings and goings in SC. You can negotiate pricing for online access. Make sure you do that.
I have heard that the N&O subscriber services via phone are terrible. I have had no need to call them, however. They keep hitting my credit card and I keep having ready online access. I wish their email notifications would take me to the app where I do not have to login to read the stories.
I agree 100 percent!