How to Find a Newspaper or Public Notice on the NCPA Website

Updated

To find a newspaper, use the Newspapers directory in the site's main navigation, which lists members by category (regular, associate, honorary, online, collegiate/university, and the North Carolina Capital Press Corps). To find a public notice, use the Public Notices link in the same navigation, or the Find a Public Notice shortcut on the home page. Both paths are free to browse; the site does not gate these directories behind a login.

Finding a Newspaper

The directory is organized by member type rather than by city or county, so start by deciding which category fits your need:

If you need… Choose this category
A standard community or daily member paper Newspapers
A paper that publishes online only Online members
A student or campus publication Collegiate & University members
A vendor or supplier to the industry Associate members
A retired or honorary member Honorary members
Statehouse press corps contacts North Carolina Capital Press Corps

Steps:

  1. Open the main menu and select Newspapers (or the specific member category you need).
  2. Scan the list for the publication name.
  3. Use the paper's listed contact details to reach the newsroom directly.

If you are unsure which paper covers a given area, the Buyer's Guide is a second resource for locating industry contacts and services, and the Directory entry in the navigation leads to the same member listings.

Finding a Public Notice

Public notices are the official announcements (legal notices, government filings, and similar items) that member papers are required to publish.

Steps:

  1. From the home page, select Find a Public Notice, or choose Public Notices in the main navigation.
  2. Search or browse for the notice you need.
  3. Note the publishing newspaper and date shown with the notice, since that information is often required when you cite or file it.

Expected result: you should land on the notice listing and be able to identify which paper carried it and when.

Other Resources Worth Knowing

  • Media Law Handbook — an online legal reference for reporters, editors, and practitioners, described by NCPA as continuously updated. Useful if your search relates to access to records or publication rights.
  • Government Transparency / Public Records — background on the state's public records provisions, helpful when a notice or record request is being resisted.
  • Legal Hotline — a member service for legal questions; check the Member Services Guide for how it works.
  • Jobs and Contests — separate sections if your visit is about employment or awards rather than finding a paper.

Common Stops

  • A paper isn't listed. It may sit under a different member category (for example, Online members rather than Newspapers). Check the adjacent categories before concluding it is absent.
  • The notice search returns nothing. Public notices are tied to the papers that published them; if you know the county, identify the local member paper first, then check its notices.
  • You need a press pass or decal. That is a separate membership request, not part of the directory or notice search.

For anything unresolved, the site's Contact page lists staff and board contacts, and the Become a member page covers membership questions.