News
Most Recently Answered Questions
Questions 1 - 10 of 491 (Page 1 of 50)Submitted by Chris Conroy from Cornelius, NC
Q:About 2 years ago I canceled my subscription to the Charlotte Observer. The reason was almost entirely based on the letters to the editor section. Over a period of time I submitted 3 letters to the editor. The first was cut I reasoned for brevity although there were others that were significantly longer. The second and third were altered as to content, the latter so much that it barely resembled the letter I wrote. I am a UNCC College of Business graduate,I own my business, and I CAN write a concise and coherent letter. I enjoyed reading the Observer and especially what other citizens had to say. My cancellation ultimately reflected my dismay that you would alter my thoughts and by extension those of other writers. Was I truly reading Letters TO the Editor or FROM the Editor? Your thoughts on this practice would be appreciated.
A: Chris, I took your specific circumstances to our editorial page editor, Taylor Batten. Here is Taylor's response. "I'm sorry to hear about your experience and would encourage you to give us another try. Nancy Webb, who began editing our letters to the editor last year, is extremely respectful of letter writers and works hard to ensure that the letters we publish fully remain true to the writer's original intent. We do some editing for clarity and brevity, but Nancy and I are careful to preserve both the content and the tone. In fact, whenever Nancy or I do substantial editing to a letter, we send the new version back to the letter-writer to make sure that he or she is comfortable with the edited version. Come on back, and send us a letter!"
Submitted by Elaine Pennington from Huntersville, NC
Q:I would like to know why certain letters sent to the editor are printed and others are not? I am aware of letters sent to the editor which contained facts and public available information which were intentional not published. It would seem the observer is just a gatekeeper for public awareness.
A: Letters to the editor fall under the jurisdiction of the editorial board, which does not report to me. But I've heard the explanations often enough to have an idea of how they are selected. As you might imagine, we receive far more letters than we can print. That's one reason why we like for writers to help us keep them short. This allows us to print more. Beyond that, it's hard for me to know what might have prevented your letter from being printed without more details here. But letters are selected on the basis of a number of factors. Readers trust us to offer a representation of views that is both fair and helpful. The 14th letter in a row that makes the same point about the same issue is not very helpful, for instance. Better to add a letter with an observation that has not appeared before. We also avoid letters that contain unsubstantiated allegations, or speak to issues that are not relevant to the general public. I'm sure we sometimes miss an opportunity to print a pertinent letter. But, overall, I think our editorial board does a great job providing a wide range of views through the letters, which are some of the best read material in the newspaper.
Submitted by MG from Concord, NC
Q:Thanks for responding to my earlier question RE why I could not locate the article about the recent death and funeral of Pfc. James McClamrock. I searched for the info by the title of the article, not Jamie's name. After I sent the inquiry to you, my husband suggested (as you did in your response) that I type in the family name. In that way, I was able to find the articles. MG
A: Happy to help. And glad you were able to find those articles.
Submitted by Rick Thames from Charlotte, NC
Q:The editor asks: Have you ever wished you could share your insights on a topic in the Observer?
A: We have good news for you. You are invited to join hundreds of people from across the Carolinas who are sharing their experiences and expertise with our newsroom staff. They are members of the Carolinas Public Insight Network. And their perspectives will add significantly to the quality of the journalism that you read in the Observer. There is no cost to join. And there is no obligation if you decide at any time to stop participating. Read more about this innovative program at www.charlotteobserver.com/publicinsight. I hope you will decide to participate in the network. Your insights will help us cover our community more accurately and completely.
Submitted by Michael Davey from Charlotte N.C.
Q:I have been on the job hunting trail as of late and a curious question came up in a conversation.It seems that more and more jobs are "apply on line" and that made me wonder? Regardless of the job requirements or the applicants qualifications, how much weight do you give seeing it all on a paper or screen, as opposed to a human face sitting in front of you. Hmm..? Michael D. charlotte
A: I think more businesses are having people apply on line because it's simpler for both the applicant and the business. There may be businesses out there that don't follow up with personal interviews with the finalists before hiring, but not my business. Personal interaction with a job candidate is essential to understanding whether that applicant is a good match for the job.
Submitted by MG from Concord
Q:Why isn't today's front page article "A Soldier's Final Homecoming" available online? It is the LEAD article in today's edition and I wanted to send it to my son (an Army Chaplain in Iraq). I have spent 15 minutes searching the Observer online site and cannot find the article. Trying to find other articles of significance on the web site have been just as frustrating. Why isn't there more attention paid to including these articles in the Observer online site? Dean Cleghorn would NEVER have allowed this! MG
A: Sorry to hear that you are having problems finding stories on CharlotteObserver.com. It's puzzling to me that you couldn't find this particular story. It was posted to our Web site the same day the funeral procession took place. It's still on the site today. In fact, we have four stories about the death of Pfc. James Fleet McClamrock still on the site, dating back to Sept. 10. But if you were limiting your search to our home page, the story may have moved to another page by the time you went on the site. The next time you are having trouble, I suggest that you go to the search box at the top of the web page and insert some key words from the story that you saw in the paper. I simply typed in "McClamrock," for example, and the search found all four stories for me. This will save you the frustration of looking page by page.
Submitted by Ri,ck Thames from Charlotte, NC
Q:Editor's turn. I know another place where I'd like for you to submit a question. Where? Answer is below.
A: We want to put YOUR questions before our region's candidates for the U.S. Congress. Ever feel like no one is asking the question that's on your mind? This is your chance. Go to www.charlotteobserver.com/politics, where you will find a feature called "1Questions." There you can post your questions, as well as vote your support for questions others have suggested. The 10 questions receiving the most votes will be submitted to each candidate. And you have your choice of submitting text or video. While we are doing this in partnership with a national organization (you can read more about that on the site), this concept is very much in the spirit of the Observer's own coverage of elections, dating back to 1992. We've long been known nationally for asking READERS for questions to pose to candidates. No filters from the media or anyone else. We like that kind of input. We think you will, too. So, please visit "1Questions" and let me know how it goes for you.
Submitted by Teresa Randall from Charlotte NC
Q:I enjoy reading the paper everyday and find up to date information online. My son is 16 and he reads "yesterdays" comics every morning with his breakfast before school. I LOVED f-minus as did my son. I am a native of charlotte and f-minus was one of the only "newer" comics I have ever enjoyed...PLEASE BRING IT BACK! PS Alot of "buzzers" think so too.
A: I'm glad you enjoy reading both the paper and the Web site. Watch for the new shuffle of comics coming with the exit of Cathy. I'm inclined now to test new strips against the popularity of F-minus.
Submitted by Suzanne Bobo from Charlotte, NC
Q:This is not a question-just my opinion that "F-minus" is a very un-funny strip. From what I've seen of "Dustin" I like it. I am 55 years old and I like reading the paper so much that I buy it at the newstand, paying full price because it's more convenient. Certainly, I miss the great features of years ago, but the paper is still interesting and useful.
A: Suzanne, thanks for reading the Observer. I'm biased, of course, but I believe that its dedicated staff of journalists continue to produce a newspaper -- and Web site -- well worth a person's investment of time. This is especially true for those who have chosen to call the Charlotte region home. No doubt, you can enjoy living here without reading the Observer. That's how special this region is. But to read the Observer is to experience Charlotte and its surrounding communities on a completely different level. This Charlotte is rich in tradition, curiosity, diversity, aspirations and generosity. On our best days, I like to think that we help you live that Charlotte.
Submitted by Mike Wood from Tega Cay SC
Q:Rick, I knew some new comic was supposed to start today, but I though that it was replacing the very unfunny "Cathy". Much to my dismay however, the funniest comic you run (F Minus)was replaced with this lame "Dustin" strip? I'm 40 and am one of the few people my age and younger that still actually buy and read the printed version of your paper everyday, but it seems that the most enjoyable features keep getting axed (this started years ago when you dropped Dr. Bombay), driving more people online to get content elsewhere and dropping subscriptions. Bring F Minus back please, it along with Dilbert and occationaly Baby Blues are the only funny comics left.
A: Mike, at 40, you are actually in very big crowd of Observer readers (78% are 35 or older). But here is our reasoning for discontinuing F Minus. It has its fans, but it generally ranks low in reader surveys. We liked Dustin, which has a topical concept, and thought it could be a good addition. With any strip, we have to give it a while to judge its actual entertainment value. When Cathy ends in October, our plan is to run several comics over several months to gauge reader interest. That may be another opportunity for you and other readers to reassert your support for F Minus.
