Disclaimer - This is an opinion & information piece, with a couple of announcements, plus addressing an election “elephant in the room”
So, Journalism is dying. How do we reverse it?
Now, I get requests all the time to do investigative stories, not just in Madison, but in Yancey, Avery, Mitchell, N. Buncombe and…not trying to start a fight here, depending on your pronunciation preference…Lester, Leicester and those who give up and just say Cester.
I stopped being a reporter when I left the Army back in 2008, and slowly came back into it - rather reluctantly - in 2024 after Helene ravaged our home.
With all these requests from the people, I looked around and thought…well, where ARE all of my fellow journalists?
And then I found out, I’m one of the 19 percent of us left in the country.
Since I graduated from journalism school in 2002, there’s been an 81 percent drop in journalists nationwide.
And that’s scary.
The Asheville Citizen-Times, alone, has gone from several hundred on staff to less than 10.
So, I thought, let’s try and do something about it.
And I reached out to local award-winning reporters for “A Journalism Conversation with Sarah Scully” panel, hosted by WNC Grassroots Media, the WNC GM.
We’ll talk with each other - and you - here at AB-Tech Madison next Thursday, November 12.
We’ll have a meet-and-greet starting at 6:30 p.m. with the conversation starting at 7 p.m. followed by a Q & A from you, the people we serve.
Asheville Watchdog’s Editor-in-Chief Michael Stowe, UNC-Asheville Senior Lecturer and WNC GM Vice Chair Michael Gouge, former editor and investigative reporter of the News-Record, Yancey County News and Smoky Mountain Living’s Jonathan Austin & others will be here to talk about…
What happens when there aren’t enough journalists to provide oversight and inform the public, why we do the work, why we desperately need a younger generation to train up to continue this work, and what resources exist to help us few journalists left.
Journalism is dying.
How do we reverse it?
You’ll also get a chance to meet the WNC GM Board, Advisory Board and staff.
And to address the elephant in the room, on Election Day morning, a family friend asked me about the election and, in particular, what I’d do if one sheriff’s candidate won over the other.
My first thought is what I said aloud to her and what I’ll say to all of you - well, I’ve got this sheriff’s office public records request seemingly never-ending issue story I hadn’t gotten to yet - and in my head, I’m rearranging the lead based on who wins sheriff - Harwood, Lyles or Sugardumplin’.
Other than that, I’m a general assignment and investigative reporter.
I report the facts and inform the public.
The backlog of stories on the sheriff’s office and Madison DSS hasn’t gone away.
I’m still going to do my job, just like I’ve been doing all along.
There will be many more stories published.
The SBI arresting Sheriff Buddy Harwood’s former Chief Deputy Coy Phillips is what set off all these investigative stories.
The arrest for 5 felonies and 2 misdemeanors allegedly committed while he served Harwood happening 5 months before an election…
Well, talk to the state on that one.
Reporters inform the voters, and voters make the decisions.
That’s the democratic republic I wore the uniform to help protect.
Being in civvies doesn’t change anything.
And all these reporters stepping up in their own uniforms of press badges and coffee cups, carrying their phones, mics, recorders, tripods and laptops…
Well, it’s another form of dwindling democratic protection we want to talk about with you, next Thursday night, Nov. 12, here at AB Tech Madison, starting at 6:30 p.m. for a Meet & Greet with the panel starting at 7 p.m. with an audience Q&A.
Let’s reverse the trend and work together to stop the death of journalism.
For an extra treat - and to help us fundraise while having a great time - come on out to a “Journalism is Dying” benefit concert Friday, Dec. 18 in downtown Marshall, with further details to be announced, hosted by the wonderful Marc Horne.
I about cried when he offered to do this for us here at WNC GM.
No, I cried.
Thank you for believing in this mission and hugs and .
P.S. Marc D. Horne came up with the phrase “Journalism is Dying” for the benefit concert, and I started writing this up for the panel announcement…and then texted him and said, “I totally stole your line, lol, I hope that’s ok.”
His response: “Of course! I’ll be there.” It’s not just Journalism majors who can have a good turn of phrase, let’s hear it for the math folks!
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https://givebutter.com/celebrate-our-growth-invest-to-build
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