"We didn't do it with the intent of creating mistrust. I don't think anyone anticipated the reaction would be quite so strong."

-- Roger Perry, chairman of the UNC Board of Trustees

I don't know if Orange County needs a new airport. I do know we made a difference in how much people knew about it as the story played out the past six months.

A few weeks ago I wrote an "Editor's Desk" column saying 2008 had been a very bad year and that I hoped we would be here in 2009 and beyond. Our work is important, I said.

Friday's announcement by Chancellor Holden Thorp that UNC was dropping plans for a new airport authority followed months of our investigating how the airport story had gotten that far.

It started routinely with a story last June by reporter Sam Spies.

He wrote how the Orange County Board of Commissioners planned to send a letter to local legislators asking that a bill to establish an airport authority be tabled for more public discussion.

"The letter says granting university airport authorities such broad powers would usurp local authority and undermine the county's land use planning," the story said. "Orange County is further concerned that moving forward with this bill constitutes a departure from the 'good faith' discussions that we have had in the past with University representatives," it continued, quoting the letter.

Then Sam got transferred to the Raleigh office.

It was August before we returned to the story. But from there, we gave readers at times weekly updates on what we learned.

We reported how the Orange County commissioners felt blindsided as the bill moved through the General Assembly. ("UNC Health to locate airport: 15-member airport authority will have power of eminent domain," Aug. 27, 2008)

We asked Chancellor Thorp why the university needed a new airport and printed his complete responses unedited. ("Thorp: UNC needs new airport," Oct. 15.) In an interview with reporter Eric Ferreri on Friday, he cited this interview as one of his wake-up moments on the issue.

We requested public records and reported how local businessmen helped pay for an economic impact report that was later used as a reason, among others, to pursue a new airport once Horace Williams closed. ("Businessmen helped fund pro-airport study," Oct. 22.)

We interviewed the airport bill's sponsors and reported how UNC wrote the early language that became the basis for the legislation. ("UNC gave state airport bill language," Dec. 17, 2008)

We went to White Cross and spoke to Mike Teer, Warren and Billie Ray, Cliff Leath and Jutta Kuenzler, some of the people who would be affected by an airport going there. ("Fear of Flying," Nov. 30)

Friday's announcement would have happened regardless of local newspaper coverage. The university was not prepared for the hundreds of people who attended meetings, signed petitions, wrote letters to the editor and staked signs in their yards.

But we did provide information most of those people didn't have. The papers and blogs became a forum for discussion on the process UNC was pursuing to get a new airport. We informed perspectives. We made a difference.

Mark Schultz is the editor of The Chapel Hill News and a Western Triangle editor for The News & Observer. Contact him at 932-2003 or mark.schultz@newsobserver.com