The Asheville Watchdog is powered by a cadre of accomplished journalists who retired to the North Carolina mountains. The staff’s investigative reporting has made a splash, and they’d like it to be a model—but it’s unclear whether their startup can be duplicated.
November 2021
Posted inHigher Education
NC Promise’s Imminent Expansion
From The Assembly’s Sunday Newsletter: Sources confirm a major college affordability program will expand to a fourth UNC System institution: Fayetteville State University
Posted inSports
Duke University and the Troubles of College Sports
A veteran professor enjoys Cameron craziness as much as any Blue Devils fan, but says big-time college sports dominate what are supposed to be nonprofit academic institutions. Even at Duke, which considers itself a shining star, there’s academic corner-cutting, rampant commercialization, and some unsettling racial dynamics.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Police Reform Finds Its Backlash
Durham was transforming the police long before ‘Defund’ became a national discussion. But after an electoral shift in the deep blue city, the future of an aggressive push on policing alternatives is uncertain—and shootings continue.
Posted inHigher Education
UNC’s Mild-Mannered Change Agent
After a quiet, decades-long rise to power, Peter Hans is atop the UNC System. He brings strong personal and political skills, but is short on executive experience. Can a great conciliator keep his restive factions at bay and shepherd the institution through its next big transformation?