How The State’s Caitlin Byrd broke the story of Joe Cunningham’s run for governor

Last year, The State expanded its footprint across South Carolina, adding new reporters in Greenville, Myrtle Beach and Charleston. In a year of hardship for many businesses and industries across the state, we were fortunate to grow.

The State’s Charleston reporter, Caitlin Byrd, has been reporting essential news from the Lowcountry since she joined our newsroom last fall — and our subscriptions in the Charleston area have grown by 237%.

Last week, Byrd broke the news that former U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham filed preliminary paperwork to run for South Carolina governor. Byrd later published the definitive story of Cunningham’s campaign. She also sat down for an exclusive one-on-one with the candidate, bringing readers deeper context on why he’s running for the state’s highest office.

How does Byrd stay ahead of the curve with her coverage of Cunningham’s campaign? Simply put: She’s been covering him for four years, allowing her to deliver unmatched insight with her reporting.

“The coverage of Cunningham’s gubernatorial campaign didn’t start last week — it began the the day he lost his congressional race,” Byrd said. “The looming question that day wasn’t, ‘What will Joe say about losing?’ It was, ‘Will he tell us what’s next?’”

For months on end, Byrd worked to find the answer. And her diligence in following Cunningham’s career extends to all her reporting.

“We’re asking these questions because it’s our job and our mission to find the truth and report on news with the depth and context you can’t get anywhere else,” she said.

You can read all of Caitlin Byrd’s coverage here, and follow her on Twitter for behind-the-scenes looks at her reporting. Have a story idea or a news tip? Send her an email.

Support from readers like you allows us to invest in deeper coverage across South Carolina. To invest in reporters like Caitlin, please consider becoming a subscriber today. And if you’re already a subscriber — thank you! We are grateful for your readership.

This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 9:02 AM.

Cal Lundmark

The State

Cal is McClatchy’s Audience Development Editor for small and mid-size markets. She earned her master’s degree from the Cronkite School of Journalism & Mass Communication at Arizona State, where she later returned as an associate faculty member in 2022. Cal is the recipient of several South Carolina Press Association awards.