COLUMNS

From the editor: The Fayetteville Observer staff will introduce themselves to readers

Fayetteville Observer

It’s not unusual for people to express surprise when they learn I’ve been at The Fayetteville Observer for 15 years — since June 18, 2008.

Their surprise is understandable — I flew under the radar for a long time as a member of the copy desk. That’s how I got my start at the Observer, and it’s where I was until 2017, when I became the digital editor. Even then, I wasn’t exactly a public figure — whenever I ventured out into the public, it was typically to shoot (admittedly pretty terrible) live Facebook videos. It wasn’t until I became the news director and lead editor in January 2021 that I began to meet so many of the people I’d become familiar with through my years at the paper.

My copy desk days are long gone, and so are my days of Facebook live videos (you’re welcome). But I’ve stuck around because I love news, and I love the Observer.

Telling our stories

So why am I telling you this?

Most journalists don’t like writing about themselves — our job is to tell the story, not be the story.

But I’d like you to know more about who we are and why we cover the stories we do. Journalists love transparency, so why not spread the love and be transparent about our newsroom?

To that end, in the coming weeks you’ll learn more about newsroom staff members and their jobs through a series of Q&As. I’ll also be writing a regular column addressing our upcoming projects, coverage and processes at the Observer.

If there’s a question that you’d like me to address in this space, I invite you to send your questions to me at bhutson@fayobserver.com.

I’m looking forward to sharing more about your local newspaper and the people who work here.

Thanks for reading.

News director Beth Hutson can be reached atbhutson@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3533.