NCPA convention talks North Carolina public school system

COMMUNITY NEWS

By Tyria Bourda
Correspondent

CHAPEL HILL/ORANGE COUNTY–Journalists from across North Carolina gathered recently in downtown Raleigh for the annual North Carolina Press Association Convention (NCPA). Over the course of two days, attendees celebrated the field of journalism while participating in training sessions, award presentations, and networking events.

Founded in 1873, the North Carolina Press Association has supported newspapers throughout the state, working to improve readership and advertising initiatives. The organization’s main goal is to protect the public’s right to information under First Amendment rights while ensuring access to local, state, and federal government resources.

 North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper inaugurated the convention with remarks expressing gratitude to the state’s press for their steadfast reporting. He also addressed the current challenges facing the NC public school system, particularly regarding private school vouchers. Cooper emphasized his support for public schools, asserting his opposition to diverting taxpayer funds from them to private institutions.

“I am grateful for the amazing journalism in North Carolina. Your coverage of pressing issues across the state does not go unnoticed. Your attention to the details of democracy allows NC to flourish continuously and your dedicated journalism holds people accountable. I have placed public education front and center because I believe it is the key to opportunity for everyone and leveling the playing field. Your work holding public officials accountable, covering stories and truth, protecting our democracy, that work is accomplished because of the effects of good teachers, principles, counselors, and coaches all working in our public schools,” said Cooper.

The governor further expressed concern that public schools throughout North Carolina are currently confronting a significant challenge posed by the legislature, which is reallocating taxpayer funds to support private school vouchers. He emphasized that the hundreds of millions of dollars allocated for these vouchers lack both accountability and transparency.

“More than 84% of NC students attend a public school,” said Cooper. “ Just as we have to safeguard the pillars of the free press to keep our country running, so too must we safeguard our public schools. Unfortunately, the public school system will lose significant funding by sending rural tax dollars to private academics to places like Charlotte and Raleigh. Instead of giving money to private schools, we could use this money that House Bill 10 appropriates to give public school teachers and provide an 8 and a half percent raise,” said Governor Cooper.

The very next day, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the bill that was sent by the republican general assembly.

“ That veto can be upheld if enough legislators in both parties tell Republican leaders that they don’t want to vote on the veto override this year,” Cooper told reporters on Friday. “I am against taking taxpayer dollars out of the public schools and giving private school vouchers to the wealthiest North Carolinians, and that is exactly what House Bill 10 does. Instead, we could use this money that House Bill 10 appropriates to give public school teachers an 8 and a half percent raise and $1,500 retention bonus” and more, he said.

Following Cooper’s remarks,  NCPA representatives emphasized the importance of maintaining public access to local, state, and federal government entities. They referenced data from the NCPA public notice FAQ website, highlighting that each month, 6.6 million adults in North Carolina rely on local print or digital newspapers for news and information. Additionally, 72% of North Carolinians engage with public notices through these local media, while 67% believe that state and local governments should be mandated to regularly publish public notices in newspapers. Furthermore, 86% of residents in North Carolina consider local newspapers and their websites to be their most trusted sources for public notices, surpassing government and related sources.

Panel Discussion (From Left To Right): Dr. Chris Cooper, Western Carolina University, Tim Boyum, Capital Tonight Anchor (Spectrum News), Dr. Nathan Dollar,  Carolina Demography Executive Director, and Phil Lucey, NCPA Executive Director. Photo credit Tyria McCray Boudra.

A panel discussion followed which elaborated on North Carolina’s evolving demographics and their impact on state politics, community issues, and readership. Dr. Nathan Dollar, Executive Director of Carolina Demography, noted that the state’s growth has outpaced the national average since 1970. Dr. Chris Cooper from Western Carolina University then shared insights into the shifting political landscape in the state.

As the convention went on, awards were given out on behalf of the NCPA for General Excellence.

1st place awardees included:

• NC Health News
• Walter Magazine
• News & Observer
• Herald-Sun
• Smoky Mountain News
• North State Journal
• The Paper ( Burke County)

2nd place awardees included:

• Watauga Democrat
• State Port Pilot
• Pilot
• High Point Enterprise
• News & Record
• SouthPark Magazine
• The Assembly

3rd place awardees:

• Carolina Public Magazine
• 27587 Magazine
• Charlotte Observer
• Goldsboro News-Argus
• Carolina Journal
• Washington Daily News
• Charlotte Post

Tyria McCray-Bourda is a story-driven journalist whose work also appears in The Carolinian newspaper in Raleigh. With a bachelor’s in journalism & mass communication from North Carolina A&T State University, she has the distinction of having interviewed President Joe Biden when he was a candidate on the campaign trail and Vice President Kamala Harris.
This reporter can be reached at Info@TheLocalReporter.press