We uncover the stories that need to be told — and make a difference in our community.
The Pilot has been the sole reliable source of information about COVID-19 in Moore County, breaking news about nursing home clusters, community infections and a lack of information from key health officials. The Pilot has filed public records requests and lawsuits to obtain important data on the virus, forcing the health department and local hospital to disclose information they hadn’t shared. Because nothing stands between our readers and their right to know.
On a quiet Sunday morning in 2009, Robert Stewart entered a Carthage nursing home and began a slow, murderous rampage that still resonates in the small town 10 years later.
When Moore County Schools embarked on its first redistricting of school attendance lines ever, The Pilot committed to blanket coverage. Over the course of a year, that meant 192 stories, editorials and opinion columns on a subject affecting 8,500 families across the county.
We know Moore County because, for 100 years, The Pilot has Been an integral part of Moore County.
Every year, we ask you to help us pick your favorites for everything in Moore County, from restaurants to hair salons to local politicians. Our comprehensive guide is one of the most eagerly awaited and sought after publications.
Every day online and in each printed issue, we deliver stories and photos of what’s happening with churches, local clubs, school productions, lectures, the music scene, author appearances and festivals. So whether it’s First Friday, a lecture at The Country Bookshop or a church bake sale in Carthage, you’ll know all about it in our Scene coverage.
Whether it’s agriculture, tourism or the latest microbrewery, our business coverage keeps you updated on what you need to know. We tell you about the people behind the storefront, the ideas that are powering our economy and the entrepreneurial spirit that imbues our Eden in the Pines.
Honored nationally for compelling community coverage.
The Pilot has been recognized five times in the past 20 years — 2002, 2008, 2015, 2016 and 2017 — as Best Community Newspaper in America by the National Newspaper Association and Inland Press Association. In North Carolina, The Pilot and its news and advertising staff have received more than 145 awards for their work over the past four years. In 2016 and 2019, The Pilot won first place for general excellence.
The Pilot each issue writes impactful editorials on local subjects, runs local columnists and publishes letters to the editor that deliver a range of opinions on matters of the day. The Pilot’s editorials and opinion section have been honored consistently by the N.C. Press Association over the past decade for their excellence.
The photography across The Pilot — news, sports, features and business — is breath-taking and impactful in its own right. Staff photographer Ted Fitzgerald is a previous winner of the Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year Award, and several other staffers have been recognized statewide for their crisp and action-packed imagery.