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The WVU Reed School of Media and Communications will host "America's Rural Future: What do we lose without local news?" on Sept. 23 at 5 p.m. in the Media Innovation Center (4th Floor Evansdale Crossing). This free event will feature two panel discussions from West Virginia and national journalists.
"America's Rural Future: What do we lose without local news?" will discuss how the fast-moving changes in media have diminished the flow of valuable and relevant information to rural America and shifted how many people get information about what's happening in their local communities. These changes have important consequences for rural American civic life: as news deserts expand, rural communities lose not just information, but the connective tissue of democratic participation, economic accountability, and shared identity.
This public event will explore the implications of these shifts--and the extent to which new models and modes of local news dissemination are filling the void.
The evening begins with "From News Deserts to Democratic Deficits: What Rural West Virginia Reveals about America," followed by a short intermission during which attendees can enjoy light refreshments. The event will close with "Rebuilding Local Information Ecosystems: Innovation and Resilience in Appalachia."
Panelists include Amelia Ferrell Knisely of West Virginia Watch, Chris Stirewalt of American Enterprise Institute, Andrew Donaldson of West Virginia Watch and Ordinary Times, Matt Pearce of Rebuild Local News, WVU Journalism professor Dana Coester, and Amy Shuler Goodwin, mayor of Charleston and former journalist. Former radio host and commentator Hoppy Kercheval will moderate the first panel.
"America's Rural Future" is a project of The Brookings-AEI Commission on U.S. Rural Prosperity. The Brookings Institute and the American Enterprise Institute have partnered on a bipartisan mission to ensure a thriving rural America in the 21st century. Co-chaired by former Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and former Governor Chris Sununu (R-NH), the commission plans to produce a national rural strategy with recommendations for policymakers, with the goal of informing national debate, legislative priorities, and community investment for years to come.
The event begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Media Innovation Center. Space is limited, so registration is recommended. For more information and to register, visit go.wvu.edu/americas-rural-future.