We write about what is important locally and state-wide.
Silly name, smart ideas
Founded in 2022, Triangle Blog Blog is a hyperlocal group blog that focuses on making our community more vibrant, accessible, fun, and sustainable. Over 70+ people have written for Triangle Blog Blog and their bios are available below their articles.
We cover everything from the state legislature to local advisory board meetings using print, digital, social, and in-person events. (We’ve thrown a parade, passed out stickers, and held pizza parties to draw attention to important issues.) We do stuff (vote, show up to meetings, engage) through fun and community. We’re also very funny people.
In the past two years, we’ve:
- Created an election guide that helped increase turnout by almost 30% in our 2023 local municipal election.
- Covered dozens of town council, school board, and advisory board meetings in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, providing context and detail.
- Raised $12,000 for PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro in five days.
- Broken news that’s been picked up both locally and nationally.
- Brought attention to historical wrongs that have largely gone unreported.
We are volunteers and we work collectively. We also have a lot of fun in the process.
Our commitment to accuracy
We have a commitment to accuracy. That’s why we always link to primary source documentation in our news and opinion pieces, so you can check our work. We fact check everything we put out into the world, using primary source documents and trusted sources. We also make corrections if we’ve erred. (You’ll find those clearly noted in italics below the articles.)
Views are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of their employer or any organizational affiliations.
We have a point of view
We make that view very clear. We’re a college town that benefits from new people and new ideas and new people moving in and out. We know UNC graduate students using food pantries. We see people driving more than an hour to teach in our school system. We live here, and want to make this a better town.
That to us means:
We believe in housing for all. Chapel Hill and Carrboro are at risk of becoming a place where only the wealthy can afford to buy a home. We need housing in a variety of sizes and price points for people at every stage of their lives. We believe a variety of changes are needed – from zoning improvements to ensuring that long-time residents can stay in their homes.
We believe in connected communities. We believe everyone should be able to safely get to schools and shops and food in 15 minutes from their home, without a car. Cars will not go away – people need them – but we believe in a future Chapel Hill and Carrboro where those who want to would be able to safely take 1-3 mile trips without cars on a regular basis. Buses, greenways, bike lanes, and sidewalks are vital for our health, for the climate and our environment, for our kids to safely get to school, and to create the kind of community we want to live in.
We believe that historic context is important. For decades, Chapel Hill and Carrboro have painted themselves as progressive places – and to some extent this is true — but there is still a lot of work that remains, and part of that is examining our history and making policy changes, not just proclamations. It means elevating and centering voices that have been excluded from conversations, and it means bringing stories that might make some people uncomfortable to light.
How to reach us
This is our group email that reaches our core group. We always say who is responding when we write back: [email protected]
We also have Signal if you prefer to talk there. Email us for more information.
How to support us
We’re a community-run organization and our support comes from our community. Donations help us pay student writers, hold events, and improve our tech stack.
Donate via CashApp: $ShamefulNuisance
We endorse in town council, county commissioner, and school board races – and we explain, in detail, the choices we make.
But we also believe in financial transparency. This is a community-supported organization. The Blog Blog receives “$368.11/month in recurring donations as of November 2024.” Among all donations, 62% are $20 or under; 89% are $50 and under; 97% are $100 and under; and 99% are $500 and under. All of our donors live in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, except 2 who live in Durham. All donations go towards the general upkeep of the website – we are all volunteers.
We keep a strict firewall between our treasurer and ourselves: writers and board members don’t have access to who donates or how much – we just get summaries like the one above. This allows us to retain editorial independence. (It’s the same setup NPR has.)
Media
Our reporting has been cited or featured in a number of publications, including Axios, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Indyweek, the News and Observer, the Daily Tar Heel and journalism publications including Nieman Lab and The Editor’s Desk.
Chapel Hill pickleball players protest at Town Council meeting, prompt response from AOC (Daily Tar Heel)
The Editor’s Desk interview (January 2023)
Letter stirs election controversy in mayor, council races (News and Observer)