Its new name, WUNC News, reflects its roots in community journalism and emphasis on Triangle and statewide coverage
by Addie Ladner

Award-winning media organization WUNC Public Radio has refreshed its brand and renamed its core broadcast and digital services to WUNC News. While its origins are in broadcast public radio, WUNC has evolved into a multidimensional media organization with a robust presence in the digital, social and podcast spaces in addition to radio. It offers its content without subscriptions or paywalls. 

The name change follows extensive local and national research that pointed to a clear need: in a media landscape saturated with national headlines, audiences want more trusted, high-quality local reporting and context.

Paul Hunton, WUNC’s president and general manager, says WUNC News will maintain its current programming while making local journalism easier to find and more connected to the communities it serves. Audiences can expect a greater intentionality around local news, making people more aware of its coverage and more familiar with its local reporters. “Our audience comes to WUNC News for local information they can count on. The refresh is designed to support that relationship, creating clearer pathways to our reporting, a stronger connection to the journalists doing the work, and a more intentional experience across platforms, so we can grow the trust we’ve built over the last 50 years,” says Hunton.

WUNC News produces multiple radio programs and podcasts, including “Due South,” its flagship weekday program covering both Triangle and statewide current affairs, and “The Broadside,” its weekly podcast that shares stories of North Carolina history and culture.

With newsrooms and studios in Chapel Hill and Durham, its Triangle-based teams also produce local newscasts and digital news stories throughout the day, plus newsletters and a weekly News Quiz. WUNC News’ beat reporting covers a wide range of local, regional and statewide issues, including K-12 and higher education, the environment, communities and culture, local music, state politics and more. Hunton says the organization’s central location and proximity to the state capital offer advantages for audiences statewide. “Decisions made in Raleigh shape daily life across North Carolina, and WUNC News is positioned to track those decisions closely and explain their impact.”

With this name change, audiences will notice a greater emphasis on these local news offerings, as well as collaborative reporting with other independent North Carolina public radio stations. Hunton says WUNC News will go deeper offering context and in-depth analysis for audiences in and beyond the Triangle region: “People come to WUNC News for local information they can rely on — news they can use to understand their community and make decisions in their daily lives.”

This post was paid for by WUNC News.

This post was originally published on January 30, 2026 on waltermagazine.com