Founded in 1816 by John A. Cameron, The Fayetteville Observer came into being to offer a dedicated voice to the growing Cape Fear region. The idea sparked when Cameron realized that his local community needed a reliable, printed source to chronicle political, economic, and community events in a way that was completely lacking before the establishment of local presses. Originally called the Carolina Observer, the publication has evolved over two centuries, and today, the site continues to operate under the ownership of the massive media corporation, Gannett. Today, The Fayetteville Observer is run by a dedicated team of local journalists and is mainly focused on regional and community news. They heavily cover North Carolina state and local politics, high school and college sports, entertainment, and specifically military news due to their close proximity to Fort Liberty. They're based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and have made a name for themselves among college students, residents, and military families looking for a reliable take on the happenings in their local world. One interesting fact: A unique fact about The Fayetteville Observer is its incredible historical survival story as the oldest newspaper in North Carolina. During the American Civil War in 1865, General William T. Sherman’s Union army intentionally burned down the newspaper's offices and destroyed its printing presses because the publication was considered too influential, forcing the paper to completely shut down for almost 18 years before finally being revived.