Letter from Editor: Welcome to Lake Norman Record!
- Samantha Hill
- Jun 28
- 4 min read
Welcome to Lake Norman Record (LNKR)!
I am your editor and creator, Samantha Hill! I was born and raised here in Iredell County for 24 years. I left temporarily to wander off and study to earn my bachelor's and master’s degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. While studying on the east coast of North Carolina, I have gained new experiences, connections, lessons and values that I want to contribute to my community back at home—a media outlet.
I have watched Iredell County grow while I lived 200 miles away from home. Every time I visit back home, there is always a change to be witnessed—such as the JR Tobacco and Outlet store being plowed flat on East Broad street or 150 being remodeled for four brand spanking new lanes of traffic. It is astounding at the increase of population but the lack of community and connection found within it. Hence, the creation of Lake Norman Record.
During my time working as a student journalist and working within public media, it has been brought to my attention (mainly by me surfing the internet) that there are no creative media news outlets in Iredell County. The creative community—not specifically talking about physical art but any form of creativity—is not represented well, along with the voices of the younger population. There are three early college programs, one well-known community college, and tons of high schools that are home to lots of talent, news and events that need to be talked about. With my passion for journalism, advocating for younger voices, and informing the public about news, I decided to start my own news outlet.
Along with my focus on uplifting younger voices, I also want to emphasize the use of our First Amendment. The attack on journalism and public media has been alarming within the past few years. The defunding of public media, news outlets closing down or being sued, defamatory and outlandish rhetoric used around media outlets, and overall lack of trust between the government and journalists, is creating even more of a divide within our local government, statewide and national with the people. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), reliance on social media for news, and the change of times (both economically and socially), it is important for citizens to remember that they have rights—most importantly—the right to exercise free speech of the press towards our government. Younger generations and voices are the future. It’s crucial that we keep them involved within our community, government and arts. It also important for older generations to understand where we are coming from and challenges that we may possibly face in the future.
While my news is digital, it is the start of building a community of creatives together to share their work, thoughts, opinions and general questions. LNKR is not a gossip blog or ripping off one media outlet and claiming as my own, it is true journalism—writing the truth for the people, by the people. I have lived by the motto since I became a journalist and LKNR holds it too. We aspire to bring communities together, hold civil conversations, share local arts and culture and dive deeper into the world around us.
So, not to be long winded, I am super excited to start up LKNR and enhance the community that we have within Iredell County and the Lake Norman region. Public media is more important than ever, especially in a time where finances are difficult, younger voices are starting their lives, and with the need for community more than ever. I welcome you to sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter that will be delivered to your inbox along with our website and social media. For more brief information, check out some FAQ's at the bottom of this letter!
Thank you for reading LKNR and I hope you’ll read more in the future.
Best,
Samantha Hill.
Editor of Lake Norman Record
LKNR FAQ's
What are you going to find here?
Well, just about anything but, specifically, you’re going to find local voices from any age, background and standing within the community. However, curated content will be here, including but not limited to: arts, culture, interviews, ask-a-journalists, news, opinions, essays, spotlights, music, and more.
LKNR condemns hate speech towards any individual or group. We are a community of people who are open to different ideas and opinions, however, we do not tolerate hateful or threatening speech of any kind. The purpose of the LKNR is to allow natural conversations around topics, even if a reader does not agree. You can find more about LKNR community guidelines here.
How do I become involved?
Simply follow along! Two times a month, a newsletter will pop into your inbox of recent news from the past two weeks, things to do in the upcoming month, and more! This is how you are able to stay connected, keep up with news, and be a part of your community!
Pitches and story ideas are welcomed! You can email lakenormanrecord@gmail.com your name, pitch and contact information. Even if you have a general question or want to pitch the idea but not write, don’t worry, we have you covered. Our team of writers will work together to create content and answer questions as best as possible.
Lastly, you can find us on social media! We keep the latest information up on our website and socials!
Instagram: @lknrecord
Facebook coming soon.
Do I have to pay for LNKR?
No! It’s 100% free!
We believe that community and public media should be free and accessible. However, we do offer advertisement spaces within our website, newsletter and social media for events and businesses. You can email lakenormanrecord@gmail.com for more information! All funding goes back to the newsroom and LKNR to continue creating stories and events within the community.