The ''Ocracoke Observer'' is a print and online newspaper produced in
Ocracoke, NC
Ocracoke , from the North Carolina Collection website at the
. The paper is created on Ocracoke and printed in
Greenville, NC
Greenville is the county seat of and the most populous city in Pitt County, North Carolina, United States; the principal city of the Greenville metropolitan area; and the 12th-most populous city in North Carolina. Greenville is the health, e ...
. Ten print issues are produced every year (March through December) and news is posted on a daily basis on the Ocracoke Observer website. Circulation of the print edition fluctuates seasonally and ranges from 2,500 to 6,000.
About
Founded in 1999, the ''Ocracoke Observer'' has been owned and operated by Connie Leinbach and Peter Vankevich since March 2014. Regular online news publication began in the fall of 2014.
The ''Observer'' focuses its coverage on Ocracoke Island and the larger surrounding Hyde and
Dare County
Dare County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 36,915. Its county seat is Manteo. Dare County is named after Virginia Dare, the first child born in the Americas to English p ...
areas. The paper is the only active print news source in Hyde County. Content coverage ranges from
hyperlocal
Hyperlocal is information oriented around a well-defined community with its primary focus directed toward the concerns of the population in that community. The term can be used as a noun in isolation or as a modifier of some other term (e.g. new ...
news about the Ocracoke school, local events and features about residents, to larger regional topics such as the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
and the
North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division
The North Carolina Department of Transportation Ferry Division is a branch of NCDOT that is responsible for the operation of over two dozen ferry services that transport passengers and vehicles to several islands along the Outer Banks of North Ca ...
. Stories are periodically translated into Spanish, French and German.
Awards and recognition
* 2016 North Carolina Press Association Awards: The ''Observer'' received 6 awards in the Online division including first place awards for Arts and Entertainment Writing and Headline Writing.
* 2017 North Carolina Press Association Awards: The ''Observer'' received 13 awards in the Online division including third place for general excellence of its website.