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 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 I reported one story after another on Facebook, until WNC Grassroots Media tracked me down to first do WNC 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 by the WNC Grassroots Media Board and staff is to grow this independent and meaningful journalism from our original Madison County home base to other rural news deserts in WNC on multiple platforms, reaching our audience how they prefer to get news.

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