The Charlotte Observer
P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, N.C. 28230-0308;
ph: 704/358-5000
A Knight-Ridder newspaper with a circulation of over 300,000, The Charlotte Observer is targeted towards Carolinians and doesn't run a lot of national and wire-generated news. In each issue, only one out of four front-page stories comes from the wires so familiarity with regional/local issues, businesses and players will make you an Observer pitch aficionado and give you a better chance at not getting barbecued by some pitch-leery editor!
| Sections | Editor | Days to Contact/ Days to Avoid | Methods | Comments |
| Business: The coverage area includes Charlotte and the cities of Gastonia, Statesville, Concord, Monroe and Rock Hill (S.C.). Broader- reaching pieces are fashioned for all of the Carolinas, including the Outer Banks, which are experiencing a boom in development. News is varied - from "prominent" business promotions to a move to a new locale. |
Assistant Business Editor, Cliff Glickman; Fax: 704/358-5172 |
Earlier in the week and earlier in the day is always preferred. A lead time of a week is usually the rule. |
This is one of the few news junkies we've come across who's OK with snail mail and prefers it. Send a fax only if it's breaking, need-to-know buzz. | "Explain to me why your news is important and don't drown me in jargon," Glickman says. "Tell me why this new product is so important for a company: Is it intended to boost sales or give the company a competitive edge?" |
| Health or "How We Live": Like many of the Knight-Ridder papers, the Observer has jumped onto the community-based journalism bandwagon. It is almost a smidgen passe' for these folks to try to inject something new into a national issue that's been kneaded too much. Your pitch wizardry will be much appreciated if your lifestyle-related (medical, health, food, garden, home) pitch has an obvious hook for the Observer. (One editor told us that a new FDA-approved drug isn't news, but if it's a FDA-sanctioned drug that a North Carolina doctor worked on, that's ripe for the pickin'.) |
Health Editor & "How We Live" Leader, Sandy Hill; Fax: 704/358-5036 |
No good or bad days. No good or bad times. |
Hill was less than delighted to speak to us because she estimated that out of the 100 phone calls she receives every month from PR pros, only one materializes into a story. Her marching orders? 1. Don't call. 2. Mail a one-page explanation outlining why the story is worth their while. 3. Fax a one-page explanation outlining why the story is worth their while. 4. Allow them to follow up if there's an interest. |
It just wouldn't be fair if we didn't convey how frustrated Hill has become with the useless press releases she gets. "Let's say there's a breakthrough in toothpaste - it's not enough of a news slant for us just because people in North Carolina brush their teeth," Hill says. "Here, I'll just pull some from the trash can and read to you what I threw away - a release about a misstep Clinton made during the State of the Union address; a (job) promotion at a company in Massachusetts. You get the point." |
Editorial Contacts At The Charlotte Observer Main Number - 704/358-5000 |
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Editor Jennie Buckner 704/358-5002 National News Editor State News Editor City Editor Book Review Editor Business Editor |
Assistant Business Editors Cliff Glickman, 704/358-5164 David Coburn, 704/358-5159 Banking Reporter Economy Reporter Small Business Reporter Personal Computers Reporter Education Writer |
Entertainment/Arts Editor Richard Maschal 704/358-5226 Features Editor Food Editor Garden Editor Home Editor Lifestyle and Medical/Health Team Leader |