Cherokee Scout

The Cherokee Scout was preceded by multiple Murphy newspapers: the Cherokee Herald (1874-1876), the Murphy Bulletin (1885-1889), and The Murphy Advance (1889).{{cite web |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/search/pages/results/?proxtext=&proxdistance=5&ortext=&andtext=&phrasetext=&county=Cherokee&date1=&date2=&page=1&sort=date |title=Cherokee County Newspapers |work=North Carolina Newspapers |publisher=DigitalNC }} The Cherokee Scout began weekly publication in July 1889 using a letter press.{{cite news |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn95072291/1964-07-23/ed-1/seq-1/#words=publish+published+Published+Publisher+publishing |title=Scout plans 75th anniversary edition soon |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, N.C. |date=1964-07-23 |page=1A }}{{cite news |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn95072291/1968-02-22/ed-1/seq-1/#words=publisher+Publisher+Publishing |title=Scout begins major expansion program |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, N.C. |date=1968-02-22 |page=1A }} A 1910 map shows the Scout's office on Peachtree Street near the Cherokee County Courthouse. In January 1946, the Scout offices and printing plant relocated to a newly constructed flag stone building on Hickory Street. Before then the offices and printing plant were separated by two blocks.{{cite news |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83004710/1946-01-10/ed-1/seq-1/

|title=Cherokee Scout moves into its new building |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, N.C. |date=1946-01-10 |page=1A }} An offset printing plant was installed in March 1961 on Hickory Street to replace the letter press. It was the first offset press in western North Carolina.

The Scout opened a 5,000-square-foot office it built on Church Street on January 16, 1964.{{cite news |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn95072291/1964-10-22/ed-1/seq-3/#words=Clay+County+Progress/ |title=Open House: Come see how your newspaper is made |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, N.C. |date=1964-10-22 |page=3A }} Four years later in March 1968 the paper installed a new Goss offset press to print the Scout and five other western North Carolina newspapers: The Andrews Journal, Clay County Progress, The Franklin Press, Highlands Highlander, Smoky Mountain Times, and Graham Star.

The first color photographs appeared in the Scout by November 1973.{{cite news |last=Brown |first=David |title=This week in local history |work=Cherokee Scout |location=Murphy, N.C. |publisher=Community Newspapers, Inc. |date=2023-11-01 |page=8A }} The newspaper built and moved into its current downtown office in 2008.{{cite web |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/contact |title=Website feedback |work=Contact |publisher=Cherokee Scout }}

The Cherokee Scout website, [http://www.CherokeeScout.com CherokeeScout.com], launched by 2005.{{cite web |url=http://www.thecherokeescout.com/ |title=The Cherokee Scout |date=2005-02-02 |access-date=2023-09-29 |archive-date=2005-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050207082826/http://www.thecherokeescout.com/ |url-status=bot: unknown }} The Scout faced competition from the weekly Cherokee Sentinel newspaper until the Sentinel closed in January 2012 when its publisher fell ill.{{cite web |url=https://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/33/6212/20001 |title=Cherokee Sentinel |work=mondotimes |publisher=Mondo Code LLC }}{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/SentinelScoop/status/159370395584180224 |title=Twitter |date=2012-01-17 }} The Andrews Journal was merged into the Scout on January 1, 2019. The Journal had been published in Andrews since 1965. Since merging, the Scout has been the only newspaper serving Cherokee County.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/opinion/david-brown-andrews-journal-merging-cherokee-scout|title=Andrews Journal merging with Cherokee Scout|last=Brown|first=David|date=2018-12-27|access-date=2019-03-08}}{{Dead link|date=July 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Randy Foster became editor in February 2023.{{Cite web |date=January 31, 2023 |title=Scout kicking off new year with an experienced editor |url=https://www.cherokeescout.com/local-newsletter/scout-kicking-new-year-experienced-editor |access-date=July 26, 2024 |website=Cherokee Scout}}

Since 2019, the Scout has stored the steeple, bell, and other furnishings belonging to the adjacent Harshaw Chapel. The church, which is believed to be the oldest existing structure in the county, had its cupola removed to protect it from further disrepair.{{Cite news |last=Foster |first=Randy |date=2025-02-05 |title=Harshaw Chapel to get new roof, steeple |work=Cherokee Scout |publisher=Community Newspapers Inc. |location=Murphy, NC |page=2A}}

Former slogans include “If it isn’t in the Scout it’s because we didn’t know it” (c. 1920s), “The People’s Paper” (c. 1934), “Our Aim: A Better Murphy, A Finer County” (c. 1939), “Dedicated to promoting Cherokee County” (c. 1956), and “Cherokee County’s Best Buy” (c. 1966).{{cite web |url=https://www.digitalnc.org/newspapers/the-cherokee-scout-murphy-n-c/ |title=The Cherokee Scout (Murphy, N.C.) |publisher=DigitalNC }}

The newspaper has won numerous awards from the [http://www.ncpress.com North Carolina Press Association] including news photography in 2016 as well as sports and religion reporting in 2016. The paper won second place in the "Best Niche Publication" category that year as well.{{Cite web|url=http://cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com/ncpress/files/aa83dad676.pdf|title=2016 Editorial Tab|last=North Carolina Press Association|website=www.ncpress.com|access-date=2019-03-08}} In 2019, photographer Ben Katz won Hugh Morton Photographer of the Year in the Community Newspaper Division.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ncpress.com/stories/2018-ncpa-editorial-and-advertising-awards,1730|title=2018 NCPA Editorial and Advertising Awards|date=March 21, 2019|work=NC Press Association|access-date=May 10, 2019}}

1. F.E. Case (1889-1890)
2. Dr. J.W. Patton & J.S. Meroney (1891-1894)
3. J.S. Meroney & Towns (1895-1914)
4. Tate Powell (1915-1922)
5. Bryan W. Sipe (1923-1925)
6. C.W. Bailey (1925-1933)
7. L.A. Lee (1934-1939)
8. Victor C. Olmsted (1940-1942)
9. Addie Mae Cooke (1943-1952)
10. William V. and Emily P. Costello (1953-1955)
11. George N. Bunch (1956-1957)
12. Roy A. Cook (1958)
13. Jerue Babb (1959-1962)
14. Jack T. Owens (c. 1963- c. 1974)
15. Weaver Carringer (c. 1985- c. 1986)
16. David Brown (2003–present)

• Tom DeTitta, former reporter who penned Georgia's official state drama, The Reach of Song{{Cite web |last=DeTitta |first=Tom |title=A World of Words |url=https://tomdetitta.com/southern-appalachian-mountains/ |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Tom DeTitta: Author, Playwright, Journalist}}

• List of newspapers published in North Carolina

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.cherokeescout.com/ Cherokee Scout: The local news and information source for Cherokee County, North Carolina]
• [https://www.digitalnc.org/newspapers/the-cherokee-scout-murphy-n-c/ Online historic issues of The Cherokee Scout at DigitalNC]

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Category:Weekly newspapers published in North Carolina

Category:Cherokee County, North Carolina

Category:Newspapers established in 1889

Category:1889 establishments in North Carolina