I thought I knew North Carolina pretty well when I set out to launch The Assembly. But you can discover a lot more about your home state in five years of deep reporting.
Since founding The Assembly in 2021, I’ve learned about the absurdity of the state’s approach to selling booze; the fight to grow our seaports along with our economy; and more than I ever wanted to know about the intricacies of municipal annexation.
Check out our special print edition here.
I’ve deepened my (admittedly shallow) understanding of NASCAR and been fascinated by the acrimonious church divisions. I’ve been chagrined at the mismanagement of some beloved institutions, puzzled at leaders’ decisions, and disturbed by the allocation of taxpayer money with no public discussion.
I’ve also been blown away at the strength of neighbors when the water rises and the world is cut off. I’ve been moved by the beauty of human resilience and creativity. And I’ve marveled at the sheer joyful breadth of a state that boasts BBQ joints, cricket championships, muscadine wine, and cheddar biscuits with equal enthusiasm.
This magazine began because this is a damned interesting place. It continues because we’re getting bigger and more interesting by the day. Over the past five years we’ve published 1,300 stories. Some have been intensely reported investigations. Others are slice-of-life dispatches that tell you something new about people and places that are already familiar. Every one of those stories has made me smarter about this marvelous, complicated place I call home. I hope it’s done the same for you.
This magazine began because this is a damned interesting place. It continues because we’re getting bigger and more interesting by the day.
In the months to come, we’re going to double down on that mission. Every community needs a team of people who wake up every day asking curious and skeptical questions. Our best stories come when we make that extra phone call, take an uncertain source meeting, or dig into something that just seems off. They’re stories that would otherwise go unreported.
That work takes time. It’s not something AI, or even a human reporter working on a two-hour deadline, can replicate. But it’s the work we’re committed to doing.
Without the help of readers like you who pitch in each month to keep us here, this idea would fade away. Thanks for making this possible. We’re grateful.
