After nearly a decade covering Charlotte’s skyline and business growth — first at the Charlotte Business Journal and then on a national real estate beat — journalist Ashley Fahey is returning to her local roots. Now, as managing editor of The Charlotte Ledger, she’s helping steer the newsroom’s next chapter of growth and community reporting. Fahey joined the team in September 2025.
In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, host Steve Dunn talks with Fahey about her path back to Charlotte media, her vision for The Ledger and what she sees as opportunities to reach new readers and tell deeper stories about the city’s evolution. They also discuss:
How her early years at The Island Packet, Beaufort Gazette and Charlotte Business Journal shaped her approach to storytelling
The evolution of local journalism — from print editions to digital newsletters, podcasts and social media
Why she sees real estate, housing and growth as some of Charlotte’s most defining issues
What The Ledger does differently — and why it’s built around stories “no one else is covering”
A breakdown of the Ledger team, from founder Tony Mecia to assistant editor Lindsey Banks, business lead Ava Mikeal and operations manager Brie Chrisman
The newsroom’s plans to expand coverage to younger and more diverse readers across all corners of Charlotte
We hope you enjoy the conversation with Ashley Fahey.
This episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast was produced by Lindsey Banks.
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