Our Mission

I traveled the world from 2003-2008 reporting as an award-winning print journalist for newspapers, newsletters and magazines in South Korea, Japan, Thailand, the States, Kuwait and a hop to Iraq and back while serving in the Army after 9/11. 

A 1998 graduate of Madison High School, I enlisted upon graduating with Departmental Distinction in Mass Communication from UNC-Asheville in 2002 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Blue Banner newspaper and interning at The News-Record.

I came back to journalism because of Helene.

After not having a byline since 2008 because of PTSD from Military Sexual Trauma, I stood on the mud-covered street of my Marshall, NC hometown and knew I could do the job. I had to do the job because I listened to my 16-year-old son tell me that if we didn’t get more volunteers, we weren’t going to make it. 

I didn’t have a newspaper or magazine, but I had my phone and a newly created Facebook account required for as a Top 10 finalist Ms. Veteran America competitor. 

I turned a camera on myself for the first time as a broadcast reporter and interviewed a Mission ER doctor about the rumored toxic mud, and posted it. 

Then one story after another recognized, until WNC Grassroots Media tracked me down to first do WMC Mountain Reporter studio broadcast. When funding ran out, I continued with them as an individual reporter on Facebook.

Appalachia is in my heart, and I aim to bring the community newspaper feel, the “old-school” journalism reporting, to this new preferred news consumer space of social media online, in fair and objective reporting. 

The hope shared is to grow this journalism from Madison County home base to other rural news deserts in WNC.

For more information:

• Citizen Times Article - Weekly News Broadcast with WNC Mountain Reporter

• NC Local Article - Covering the Gaps

• DVIDS Article - California National Guard Soldiers leave Iraq
  

Sarah is available as a guest speaker upon request - email sarahscully31@gmail.com