Matt Leclercq, a longtime North Carolina journalist whose career began covering rural communities near Fayetteville, has been named the new editor of The Charlotte Observer at a pivotal moment for both the newspaper and the local news industry.
Leclercq, who most recently helped oversee coverage and newsroom strategy at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, succeeds Rana Cash, who resigned as executive editor at the beginning of the month.
He officially was introduced to Observer staff Tuesday during a newsroom meeting in Charlotte…