I’m excited to share with you that Axios has acquired the Charlotte Agenda. The New York Times just broke the news.

Why it matters: With Axios’s resources, our team will be able to provide you even better coverage of local news and information that matters. In time, we’ll debut a redesigned newsletter, event programming, and an updated site.

• Our team isn’t going anywhere. We’re joining Axios’s larger effort to bring its successful model to local markets across the country. The new arrangement will allow us to grow and carry out our mission of making Charlotte smarter and better connected.

Background: We launched Charlotte Agenda in 2015. Axios launched in January 2017. This past fall, I read a Wall Street Journal article highlighting Axios’s growth, profitability, and plans to enter local media. I sent CEO Jim VandeHei an email. He responded in two minutes. We arranged to have our teams meet in a two-day best practices session. After those conversations, and several more Zoom meetings, it became clear that our company cultures and approach to local media aligned.

About Axios: Axios is a national media company focused on making readers smarter, faster, while covering topics that matter: politics, tech, business, media.

The big picture: Local media is in crisis right now. Together, we have the opportunity to provide a blueprint for what a modern local media company can look like in communities across the country.

• Axios can scale what we’ve learned from a revenue and coverage standpoint into other markets. They’re starting with Denver, Des Moines, Minneapolis, and Tampa. Yes, we will eventually change our name to Axios Charlotte.
• Joining Axios allows our team to reach more people. Who knows, maybe we’ll see Michael Graff on Axios’s HBO show next time he has a big story.
• Over time, Agenda Members who support our local journalism should expect perks like members-only events.
• It’s also a good time to be a Axios Charlotte sponsor. Under Axios, our audience will expand. Specifically, our newsletter will boom as we convert local visitors to Axios.com into newsletter subscribers. Additionally, their studio and technology teams give us the resources to deliver even better brand advertising.

Bottom line: This allows us to better serve Charlotte and gives us the opportunity to make global impact. Honestly, it’s exhilarating.

There are a lot of details still to be worked out, but if you have any questions feel free to email me directly — te[email protected]. Thank you for your support over the years.