With roots extending back to 1816, The Fayetteville Observer is North Carolina's oldest newspaper still in publication. In the centuries since its founding, not only has it followed history's big events—from the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the landfall of Hurricane Hazel—it has lived through its own history as well. During the Civil War, for instance, General Sherman's Union army destroyed the paper's offices. In 1957 it added its beloved Sunday-morning edition to make delivery a daily occurrence.

Of course two centuries worth of history will have its ups and downs—but the Observer has undoubtedly had more ups. One of its latest causes for celebration came in 2002, when it was one of just 11 US papers named among the 50 best-printed in the world during an international color-quality competition. And that recognition is a small representation of the Observer's adjustment to modern times. Today it features designed sites and content for phones and tablets, full 24/7 online access, and email alerts.