In 2024, let’s focus on local

The Ledger is working to be an essential resource for people engaged in making Charlotte better

On paper, 2024 is shaping up to be a distressing year.

Wars are continuing in Gaza and Ukraine. A bitter and divisive presidential election seems headed our way.

Troubling news from faraway places can cause anxiety and leave you feeling powerless. The good news is that you can exert more profound influence on your world closer to home, here in Charlotte. Wherever your passion lies, consider making 2024 the year to channel more time and mental energy into making Charlotte better. It’s like the old bumper sticker slogan, “Think globally, act locally.”

At The Charlotte Ledger, we’ve been working to become a reliable resource for people who choose to be engaged in our community. We think it all starts with information — equipping Charlotte residents with what they need to know to make better decisions about their lives here. To us, that means holding up examples of people who are making a mark in Charlotte; sharing original and relevant news in a fair and trustworthy manner; asking tough questions of powerful institutions; and helping you understand better the forces that are shaping our city.

The Ledger aims to be the connective tissue binding different parts of our growing city together. We make our readers smarter by providing information they didn’t previously know. We enrich their lives by introducing them to people, organizations and ideas that they might not have otherwise encountered.

Local focus: We’re focused 100% on the Charlotte area. We’re locally owned, and we live here. Our theory is that if you want to read about national politics or weird animal news, for example, you have plenty of choices of where to find that information. On the other hand, if you want to know why there are bulldozers down the street from your house or where the latest school reassignment maps show your child going to school, your options for trustworthy information are zero or almost zero. The Ledger helps fill that void.

This year, The Ledger has been deepening its commitment to Charlotte. In addition to publishing around 300 locally focused email newsletters and releasing 51 podcast episodes with local leaders — some of the highlights of which we shared earlier this week — we also …

◼️ Helped voters make informed choices. In the fall, we debuted our Charlotte Ledger Election Hub, with straightforward, down-the-middle information about city and school board candidates and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools bond referendum. We think that vital civic information should be free for anyone to access, not hidden behind a paywall, so we made the Hub publicly available and ad-free  — and promoted it with our own yard signs at the polls:

Ledger editors Tony Mecia (upper left) and Cristina Bolling (upper right) were part of a small team that installed yard signs at polling places to direct voters to reliable, trustworthy and free election information ahead of November’s election.

Our data shows that thousands of people used the resources we provided, and we received many positive comments from readers who found it helpful in casting their votes. We plan to revive the Hub, with information on local candidates, again in 2024.

◼️ Expanded coverage of the arts. We were fortunate this year that longtime Charlotte arts critic Lawrence Toppman agreed to review local arts and cultural performances regularly for us. You can find the collection of his reviews — encompassing Charlotte Ballet, Theatre Charlotte, Blumenthal Performing Arts’ Broadway Lights series and more — on our “Larry At-Large” page. He’s on board for more in 2024.

◼️ Partnered on events: The Ledger teamed up this year with a variety of local organizations on events, such as South Charlotte Partners’ transportation summit; a political candidates’ reception with the Charlotte Area Chamber of Commerce and Charlotte Public Relations; and a webinar and podcast series on common human resources challenges with Catapult Employers Association. And of course we held our annual 40 Over 40 Awards celebration in April, honoring people ages 40+ who are making Charlotte a better place. We also invited Ledger members to come celebrate The Ledger’s 4th birthday over beers at a local brewery (on us).

Finalists at the 1980s costume contest at The Charlotte Ledger 40 Over 40 Awards, presented by U.S. Bank, included Lloyd Dobler from “Say Anything” (second from left) and Bernie from “Weekend at Bernie’s” (far right).

◼️ Highlighted the role of local nonprofits: This year, we continued highlighting the important role local charities play in Charlotte with our recurring “Charity Spotlight” feature. We shared conversations with 19 nonprofit leaders on The Charlotte Ledger Podcast. Our members recommended more than 50 local charities as part of our annual Giving Tuesday shout-out. And we teamed up with consultancy Next Stage to help highlight a local trust-based philanthropy project.

◼️ Increased the number of in-depth articles. With the help of new part-time editor Doug Miller, we were able to assign skilled journalists to tackle meaty and important local topics like never before. In-depth series this year included examinations of teen mental health (in partnership with N.C. Health News), artificial intelligence, the future of work and blockbuster Charlotte court cases from the past century.

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To accomplish our goal of providing smart and relevant local information, we have to succeed on the business side of our operation, too.

Nationally, you might have read about cutbacks at media organizations such as the Washington Post, NPR and Buzzfeed News.

But The Ledger, I’m happy to report, is growing. We have a modern, forward-looking strategy. Our plan — and it’s not rocket science — is to deliver smart and relevant local information in a convenient and easy-to-read format and to back it up with helpful and responsive customer service (if needed).

That approach is working. Last week, the New York Times cited The Ledger as an example of the “rebirth of local journalism,” alongside other local news start-ups working to fill the void left by the downsizing of newspapers in their communities.

Our newsletters now reach more than 20,000 people, including about 3,600 who receive our paid version. (If that includes you — thank you!) Our revenues grew 14% this year. That’s slower growth than last year, but it’s our fourth straight year of double-digit revenue growth. Our expenses are up, too — but we’re pleased with where we are.

More than 75% of our revenue comes from Ledger members, which is a significant number and attests to how well our team serves our readers. With a full-time staff of three, we’re lean and nimble. This year, we added a part-time business manager, Brie Chrisman of BC Creative, who is helping us improve how we handle subscriptions, sponsorships and events. (Look for more events from us in 2024, including panel discussions and even a bourbon tasting.)

➡️ How to help: If you believe that reliable local information is important, there are ways you can help us. Spread the word that we exist. If you’re not a Ledger paying subscriber, become one. If you are, consider a Premium membership or a one-time gift of support that helps underwrite projects like our elections hub. If you have a company or control a marketing budget, think about sponsoring our newsletter or podcast or an event to reach our smart and influential audience. Advertise an event on our event board. Those are our primary sources of revenue, so when they increase, we can hire more people and do more to fill information gaps in Charlotte.

As we head into 2024, the Ledger team is going to continue looking for ways to make our community stronger. I hope you will, too. With your help, The Ledger will be here for you — in 2024 and beyond.

All the best for a healthy and prosperous new year.

Tony Mecia
The Charlotte Ledger

P.S. If you have any suggestions or comments — or story tips — feel free to email me at tony@cltledger.com.

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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Business manager: Brie Chrisman, BC Creative