The News & Observer launches expanded weekend newspapers

To our readers:

The News & Observer is changing to meet the needs of our readers and the communities we’ll serve long into the future. Providing the news that’s essential to your life — be it breaking news, coverage of our local governments and schools, sports and watchdog journalism that holds public officials accountable — remains our mission.

While that mission hasn’t changed, we are seeing shifts in how our readers are engaging with this valued content. More and more of our customers are engaging with our local journalism online. This is not only a trend in the Triangle, it is a trend in the media industry and, in fact, all industries.

To support these shifts, starting on March 7, we will no longer produce a printed newspaper on Saturday and will launch a Weekend Edition that includes expanded newspapers on Fridays and Sundays. Many of the features you enjoy on Saturday such as comics, puzzles, TV listings, real estate, home and garden and local sports coverage will now appear in expanded editions in print on Friday and Sunday. On Saturdays, we will continue to publish breaking local news to our website and social media platforms; and we invite you to visit our website or our eEdition, which replicates the experience of a printed newspaper online.

While a printed newspaper once was the sole means of accessing news and information, we now offer many different ways to connect with The News & Observer beyond print — on our newsobserver.com website; on mobile apps; on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; through video, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and our newsletters. These digital platforms are accessible wherever you go and whenever you want.

As we make this transition together we want to thank you again for your loyalty and investment in The News & Observer. We are dedicated to providing this community, one we care deeply about, with independent, fact-based news along with solutions for local businesses that help us all thrive and grow for many years to come. This is another step to make progress toward this goal.

Thank you.

— Sara Glines, Publisher, The News & Observer