The Observer is adding reporters who will help cover coronavirus impact and recovery. We need your support.
Before the coronavirus pandemic caused global upheaval, The Observer told readers about additional reporting help on the way to cover critical issues in our community.
That help is now more important than ever — the topics and communities those reporters will cover are heavily impacted by the pandemic.
Our reporting team has worked nearly nonstop since the first COVID-19 case was reported in North Carolina on March 3. What’s become clear since then is that the path to recovery will likely be long in our community — and that readers are relying on us for factual and insightful reporting while they’re managing through this historic pandemic.
Many in our community are struggling to pay their rent, and tens of thousands have lost their jobs and filed for unemployment. Testing is still not broad enough to determine how widespread infections are in the community. And many people and businesses are trying to determine what help is available to them for recovery efforts.
Through our partnership with Report for America, we’re fortunate to have two reporters who will help report on these stories, and tell readers about successes and the people behind them.
In Charlotte, the Foundation for the Carolinas and the N.C. Local News Lab Fund are also providing financial support for these reporting positions.
For the rest of the matching funding we need, we count on support from our community.
Individuals, organizations and businesses can help support these reporters in Charlotte by making a donation to Report for America at bit.ly/RFAObserver.
Donations can also be mailed directly to Report for America/The Charlotte Observer Campaign c/o The GroundTruth Project, 10 Guest Street, Boston, MA 02135.
We appreciate your continued support through reading and sharing our journalism and helping us understand what’s most important to you in this challenging time.
Sherry Chisenhall is executive editor of The Charlotte Observer.