Thursday, February 23, 2017Join us for a tour of The Charlotte Observer in its new digital headquarters. Our focus for the evening: the Observer’s explosive growth of both readers and advertisers on the web.
Speakers: Publisher Ann Caulkins, Executive Editor Rick Thames, Editorial Page Editor Taylor Batten
Date: Feb. 23, 2017
Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Cost:
- $15 for Wharton Club Members
- $25 for Non-members
- $1 for Joseph Wharton Members
Location:
NASCAR Building
10th Floor
550 South Caldwell St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
In this discussion takeaways include:
- Locally, more than 1.3 million readers a month come to the Observer.
- Nationally, Observer readers average more than 5 million a month.
- Roughly half of those readers are using mobile devices, mostly phones.
- Print is rapidly becoming a niche product. Digital is now nearly 40% of our ad revenue.
About The Observer
The Observer has been the Charlotte region’s No. 1 source of news and information for more than 140 years. Now, it draws the largest digital audience of any local news organization in North and South Carolina. Its news and advertising staffs have undergone a dramatic transformation to maintain this dominance in the digital era. Their stories will inspire all who face a similar challenge in their own businesses.
About our Speakers:
Publisher Ann Caulkins
Ann is the CEO of the Charlotte Observer. She is responsible for each division within the company. Under her leadership the Observer has led the way in digital revenue, readership and innovation. Members of her leadership team are frequently asked to lead key initiatives within the McClatchy Corporation. Two of her former leadership team members are now publishers of their own newspapers within the corporation. We like to be the pacesetter.
Executive Editor Rick Thames
Rick oversees the Observer’s award-winning newsroom and has led its transformation to meet readers’ needs in the era of digital journalism. Observer journalists use social media, search engine optimization, metrics and video to grow audiences for their compelling, high-impact journalism. News is reported minute-by-minute. As we say, “We’re always on.”
Editorial Page Editor Taylor Batten
Taylor leads the Observer’s editorial board, including three writers, a cartoonist and two other contributors. The Observer’s opinion content and the board’s opinion writers have repeatedly been named the best in the state. We post staff- and locally generated content 24-7, driving traffic and sparking community conversations.
