The Fayetteville Observer, North Carolina’s oldest newspaper still publishing today, is your premier source for local news in the Cumberland County area.
A Fayetteville institution, we have undergone many changes in our more than 200 years, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to providing essential coverage for our readers.
The Fayetteville Observer’s mission is to inform, entertain, educate, engage and empower our community through trusted, impactful journalism and storytelling.
Our team of journalists covers the military, veterans and Fort Bragg; local government bodies; public safety; business and development; entertainment; the bustling food scene; education; and high school and ACC sports. We also have a robust opinion section, which prioritizes local voices and issues.
We believe in local journalism. We live and work here just like you, and we know the importance of a vibrant and engaged local newspaper.
We believe it is imperative to cover the fullness of life — the good and the bad — that exists within our diverse community.
And lastly, we believe that knowledge is power: An informed community is empowered to make smarter decisions about the things that affect their lives.
Where can I find The Fayetteville Observer?
We distribute our content on multiple platforms. We have a print edition, which you can access here, that includes full access to our digital products, including our eNewspaper and all premium stories. Our website, fayobserver.com, was first launched in 1995.
You can also get news via email by signing up for one of our newsletters here, and make The Fayetteville Observer your Google Preferred Source when looking for Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and Cumberland County news and information by using this link: google.com/preferences/source?q=fayobserver.com. You can also download our Fayetteville Observer app at the Apple Store or Google Play. You can also find The Fayetteville Observer’s content on these social channels:
∎ Facebook (@fayobserver)
∎ X (@fayobserver)
∎ Instagram (@fayobserver)
The paper prints daily, with Saturday’s edition being delivered as an eNewspaper.
Awards and achievements
The Fayetteville Observer has won hundreds of awards in its history.
In the most recent North Carolina Press Association Awards, the newsroom staff earned 16 honors, including nine first-place wins.
Who owns The Fayetteville Observer?
The Fayetteville Observer is owned by the Gannett Corp., which is part of the USA Today Network. In 2016, the locally owned Fayetteville Publishing Company sold The Fayetteville Observer to GateHouse Media, which is now part of Gannett.
The newspaper traces its roots to June 20, 1816, with the first edition of the Carolina Observer. The name was changed to The Fayetteville Observer in 1835 under the direction of longtime Editor E.J. Hale.
The Observer building and presses were destroyed by Gen. William T. Sherman’s Union troops in 1865. E.J. Hale Jr. re-established the newspaper in 1883, and it became a daily in 1896.
After a flurry of ownership changes, the Observer was bought in 1923 by W.J. McMurray, and the Fayetteville Publishing Co. was founded. Mr. McMurray’s son-in-law, Charles R. Wilson, became publisher and eventually owner. The company remained under the family’s ownership until 2016.
In 1973, the Fayetteville Publishing Company launched The Fayetteville Times, an afternoon paper, while The Fayetteville Observer remained a morning paper. In 1990, the two papers merged to form The Fayetteville Observer-Times, and nearly a decade later, in 1999, it reverted to its former name — and the name we still use today — The Fayetteville Observer.
The state of North Carolina approved one of its roadside historical markers designating the Observer as the “Oldest N.C. newspaper still being published.” The marker was unveiled at our former Hay Street location downtown in June 1973 and was later moved to our location on Whitfield Street in Massey Hill.
Since 2023, the newsroom office has been at 581 Executive Place, Suite 800, Fayetteville, North Carolina.
How can I reach The Fayetteville Observer?
Customer support can be reached at 1-800-722-0457, or go to help.fayobserver.com
To contact us, go to our staff directory here: fayobserver.com/contact/staff
If you have a news tip, please email us at news@fayobserver.com or call 910-486-3533.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: What to know about the Fayetteville Observer newspaper in Fayetteville
