Who We Are
The Charlotte Mercury is Charlotte’s privacy-first newsroom. We cover the issues that matter most to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County — city council decisions, housing, schools, politics, business, and the culture that makes this city unique.
We are not here to be the fastest. We are here to be the clearest. Our motto is simple:
“Always last to breaking news.”
Because in an age of noise, we think Charlotte deserves thoughtful reporting over hot takes.
What We Believe
- Trust comes first. Journalism can’t function if readers think we’re selling them out. That’s why we don’t sell or share your data.
- Privacy is power. Our readers are not products. Ads on The Mercury are local, relevant, and respectful — never the creepy, follow-you-around kind.
- Democracy needs depth. We believe informed citizens make better decisions, so we slow down and give you context instead of headlines designed to make you click.
- Local matters. Charlotte isn’t just another metro in a national algorithm. It’s our home, and our reporting starts here.
What We Do
- Cover Charlotte’s politics, government, schools, housing, and business — with a focus on why it matters.
- Publish one thoughtful piece a day, not fifty shallow ones.
- Work with local businesses to tell their stories in a way that benefits readers, not just clicks.
- Provide advertising that’s additive, not intrusive — banners that complement the experience, not ruin it.
Our Ethos
We run on three core values:
- Clarity. Tell the story cleanly, without jargon or filler.
- Integrity. Protect readers’ privacy, resist the clickbait economy, and call things as they are.
- Community. Build a platform that strengthens civic life and supports local businesses.
Who’s Behind The Mercury
The Charlotte Mercury is published by Mercury Local, LLC, a Charlotte-based company dedicated to reinventing local journalism for the 21st century.
Our team is small but stubborn: writers, editors, and local partners committed to making sure Charlotte’s stories are told honestly.
How We’re Funded
We are ad-supported, not ad-driven. That means:
- No pop-ups, no autoplay videos, no programmatic surveillance.
- Ads are placed thoughtfully and are often integrated into our storytelling.
- Our partners are local businesses, and supporting them supports Charlotte.
Licensing
All original journalism on The Charlotte Mercury is released under:
Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0).
You can share our work with credit, but you can’t remix or alter it without permission.
Full license here.
Contact Us
Mercury Local, LLC
520B North Poplar
Charlotte, NC 28202
📧 hello@cltmercury.com
🌐 cltmercury.com
Bottom line: We exist to make Charlotte smarter, not noisier. We’ll never be the loudest voice in your feed — but we’ll work to be the one you trust. #LastToFirst | #WeAreCharlotte