Carolina Public Press

What Carolina Public Press does

Carolina Public Press is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, that produces in-depth, nonpartisan investigative reporting on issues affecting North Carolina. Its editorial coverage spans politics and government, health, economy, environment, and crime and justice, delivered primarily through a no-paywall website (carolinapublicpress.org) built on the Newspack content management platform. The organization's product portfolio includes the core investigative reporting site, three newsletter products (Daily Monday-Friday, Weekend Saturday with subscriber-only content, and Election 2026 for election-cycle coverage), and a deep bench of multi-month Special Reports series on topics such as Stray Cops, Trapped By Tiers, Restraining Rivers, and Mountains Unbowed. Supplementary programs include the NC Connection: Closing the News Gap rural research project, the Shaklan Investigative Reporting Fellowship, and a Speakers Bureau that places reporters on panels and at community events.

The organization serves the general public of North Carolina — a market of more than 11 million residents — with a secondary emphasis on rural and Spanish-speaking audiences. It does not charge readers; instead, revenue is generated through three streams: individual donations, foundation grants (notably from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and Google News Initiative), and corporate sponsorships and underwriting. Distribution is direct-to-reader via website, email newsletters, and organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, RSS), supplemented by in-person community listening sessions hosted in partnership with NC Local News Workshop, Border Belt Independent, Carolina Demography, and UNC Pembroke. The newsroom operates with a small team (1-10 staff) and has accumulated significant editorial credibility, winning 13 NC Press Association awards in 2024 alone.

Name

Carolina Public Press

Legal name

Carolina Public Press

Website

https://carolinapublicpress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carolina Public Press is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization founded in 2011 that produces nonpartisan, in-depth investigative reporting on North Carolina issues, serving the state's 11+ million residents through a free website, newsletters, and Special Reports funded by donations, foundation grants, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Investigative Journalism

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Noncommercial Radio Broadcasting (NPR, Community, Campus) (MPAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Political & Public Affairs Channels (MPABAIAC), Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit news
• Investigative journalism
• Public interest reporting
• Rural news coverage
• Newsletter publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Charitable gifts from individual donors supporting public-interest journalism
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and Google News Initiative
3. Sponsorships and Underwriting: Corporate sponsorships and underwriting support

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carolina Public Press is an independent nonprofit newsroom that produces in-depth, nonpartisan investigative reporting on North Carolina issues including politics, health, economy, environment, and crime and justice. It distributes content free of charge via its website, email newsletters, and special reports, and supplements reporting with community engagement, a Speakers Bureau, and the NC Connection rural research project.

Product overview

Carolina Public Press is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that provides in-depth investigative reporting on North Carolina issues. The organization operates primarily as a single unified news product with several supplementary offerings: its core investigative reporting platform (delivered via the website), three newsletter subscriptions (Daily, Weekend, and Election 2026), and thematic Special Reports covering topics like rural health care, environmental issues, elections, and criminal justice. Additional offerings include the NC Connection research project focused on rural news access, a Speakers Bureau connecting reporters with speaking engagements, and community events. The organization is powered by Newspack.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NC Connection: Closing the News Gap: A special CPP research project on the news needs of rural North Carolinians
• Shaklan Investigative Reporting Fellowship

Products and services

• News and Investigative Reporting
• Daily Newsletter

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning breakthrough journalism that dismantles barriers and shines light on critical overlooked issues

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NC Local News WorkshopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for community listening sessions and rural engagement initiatives. NC Local News Workshop provides expertise in local news engagement and helps organize community forums to understand news needs.
• Carolina DemographyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of community listening sessions, providing demographic data and research expertise to understand community needs and trends.
• Border Belt IndependentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit news site serving four Border Belt counties (Bladen, Columbus, Robeson, Scotland). Co-sponsored listening sessions and collaborative coverage initiatives.
• UNC PembrokeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in hosting community listening sessions at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub; journalism students participate in forums and coverage.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Texas Tribune: A leading state-focused nonprofit news organization. Comparable in mission, donor-supported model, and statewide coverage scope, though at significantly larger scale.
• ProPublica: The largest U.S. nonprofit investigative news organization. A broad incumbent in nonprofit investigative journalism whose model and foundation-backed funding approach CPP emulates at the state level.

Direct peers

• The Assembly: A digital nonprofit news outlet focused on North Carolina power, politics, and policy. Direct geographic and topical peer to Carolina Public Press, competing for NC donors, readers, and foundation grants.
• NC Health News: A North Carolina-based nonprofit news organization covering health policy. Operates with a similar statewide nonprofit investigative model, competing for the same audience and foundation funders.
• Border Belt Independent: A nonprofit news outlet serving four southeastern North Carolina counties. Already a listed CPP partner and a direct peer in the rural NC nonprofit news space.

Regional players

• Mountain Xpress: An Asheville-based alt-weekly newspaper covering Western North Carolina. Overlaps significantly with CPP's Western NC focus, particularly around Helene recovery and regional politics.

Emerging players

• VTDigger: A nonprofit digital news outlet serving Vermont with in-depth statehouse and investigative reporting. Closely mirrors CPP's nonprofit state-focused investigative model.
• CalMatters: A California-based nonprofit news organization covering state policy. Comparable as a nonprofit, statewide, policy- and investigative-focused digital outlet with similar funding mix.
• The Connecticut Mirror: A nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news outlet covering Connecticut state policy. Mirrors CPP's mission of providing independent, in-depth statewide journalism.
• MLK50: Justice Through Journalism: A nonprofit investigative news outlet focused on economic and racial justice in Memphis. Comparable to CPP in nonprofit investigative mission and reliance on foundation grants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CPublicPress
• Facebookfacebook.com/CarolinaPublicPress
• Instagraminstagram.com/carolinapublicpress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carolina Public Press