Abby Cavenaugh
Abby Cavenaugh has recently joined the staff at The Sampson Independent as editor. A journalist and communications professional for nearly 30 years, Cavenaugh brings a wealth of experience and a passion for local journalism to the Sampson County community.
Most recently features/business editor for Duplin Journal, she has worked as an editor and writer with many community newspapers throughout her career, including Duplin Times, The Anson Record, and longstanding but no longer in print newspapers like Lumina News in Wrightsville Beach, The Richlands-Beulaville Advertiser News, Warsaw-Faison News and The Pender Chronicle. She has also previously worked in the communications departments of a hospital system, pharmaceutical company and nonprofit organization, and was a features editor for entertainment website, Collider.
She attended school in Duplin County, and earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Peace College, now William Peace University.
“I’ve worked in the communications field for many years now, long enough to realize the importance of community news,” she said. “In this day and age, so many people get their news from social media, the internet or 24-hour cable news networks. But there’s nothing that can replace reading about your own community in the local newspaper. There’s something so special about seeing kids’ names or pictures in the paper, or learning what the local town board is considering, or even perusing the obituaries to see if someone you know has died. That’s a need that only community newspapers can fulfill.”
Publisher Sherry Matthews said the addition of Cavenaugh to the Independent staff adds “depth” to an already strong editorial team.
“I am thrilled that Abby has decided to join us,” Matthews said. “She has a heart for community news, and she brings to the table a wealth of journalistic experience both in writing and editing that will only serve to make our newspaper stronger.”
The SI publisher said Cavenaugh is “the perfect fit” for the community and the newspaper.
“I have been eager to find someone of Abby’s caliber to join our team, someone who believes in local news, understands the need to provide fair and accurate coverage and wants to support the community through our efforts here at the paper. Her beliefs about the newspaper’s role in our community aligns perfectly with my own.”
Cavenaugh grew up in Duplin County, where she’s spent most of her life, and currently lives with her twin sister Amy, niece Adeline, three dogs and five cats. As a Wallace native, she’s familiar with Sampson County and said she is looking forward to learning more about her northerly neighbor, including its rich agricultural heritage and many rural communities.
“I’ve been in close proximity to Sampson County for many years, and am looking forward to becoming an integral part of the community,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to trying out the many great restaurants and coffee shops!”
Former editor Chuck Thompson will no longer be a full-time staff member at The Sampson Independent, but he will continue to contribute stories as a corespondent on a part-time basis.
“I have very high regard for Chuck and appreciate all the strides he made here during his brief tenure. He will be greatly missed, but I understand the reasons he needed to leave the full-time position. I’m excited, however, that he has agreed to stay on as a corespondent. He will continue to cover county government and breaking news, and he will be working on investigative pieces as well. This will only add more strength to our editorial team,” Matthews said.
Citing her strong belief in community journalism and its place in today’s society, Matthews said providing the public news they could count on was vitally important to her and the editorial team at the Independent. “We take our roles very seriously,” Matthews attested. “We are following in the footsteps of some great journalists, people like Jim Parker, Tom Weaver, Fred Burgess and Claire Brisson, all who believed in this community and worked tirelessly to promote it every day. I love this community and believe in what we do here with all my heart. Chuck has already come to love the community and I know Abby will as well.
“I thank them for their willingness to help me make this newspaper as strong as it can be for our reading public.”