The role and responsibility of the media in covering news and serving the community will be the topic of a Sept. 5 panel discussion among NC journalists whose newspapers have won the Pulitzer Prize. Details...
Three North Carolina journalists whose newspapers have received the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service will join University of North Carolina President Emeritus William Friday for a panel discussion at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 5 in McCrary Theatre, located on the Elon campus. Horace Carter of the Tabor City Tribune, Frank Daniels, Jr., of The News and Observer, and Rolfe Neill of The Charlotte Observer will join Friday in “The North Carolina Newspaper and the Obligation of Public Service,” a discussion about the delicate balance between reporting the news and service to their communities. Sponsored by the School of Communications and the Office of Cultural Programs, the event is free and open to the public.
The event will be videotaped by WUNC-TV for broadcast at a future date.
Carter’s editorials and front-page news coverage of the Ku Klux Klan in southeast North Carolina led to a Pulitzer in 1953 for the Tabor City Tribune, which he served as editor and publisher. Carter attended and reported on Klan meetings, which led to the convictions of numerous Klansmen and an end to fear in the community.
Daniels served as publisher of the News and Observer from 1971-1996. He was well known for his commitment to civic journalism and upholding public access to government meetings and records. The Raleigh-based newspaper won the Pulitzer in 1996 for a revealing series on the environmental and health risks of the waste disposal system used by corporate hog farms in eastern North Carolina.
Neill served as publisher of The Charlotte Observer from 1975-1988, from which he retired with more than four decades of experience as a journalist. The newspaper received a Pulitzer in 1988 for uncovering misuse of funds by the PTL television ministry, which led to the downfall of TV evangelist Jim Bakker.
Friday served as president of the UNC system for 30 years and is one of the state’s most respected leaders in higher education. Friday has also been a pioneer of public television in the state. He began his tenure as host of “North Carolina People” on UNC-TV more than three decades ago and has captivated viewers with engaging interviews, ranging from actors to fishermen.