Retiring after 15 years as NPR rural reporter, Berkes says local leadership is key to solving community issues

Howard Berkes
(Photo by Elaine Sheldon)

Our friend Howard Berkes, who in 2003 became the first rural correspondent for NPR, is turning 65 and is retiring; and our friend Tim Marema at The Daily Yonder highlights his career with an interview.

"The biggest takeaway for me that was consistent across all rural communities, no matter where they were in the country, was that in every place I went to, there were thoughtful people who were trying to figure out how to make their communities work better, who had concern about the ability of people to learn in their communities, the ability for young people to stay there, the kind of changes that occur when maybe there is some big, new economic driver that suddenly comes in. I found in every community people who really gave a lot of thought to what they wanted their communities to be," Berkes told Marema.

"The difference between the communities that were successful in meeting those challenges, or at least had a chance for success, were communities where those kinds of people were also leaders. Every rural community that I’ve been in that had innovation going on and was having some success at meeting new challenges and at adapting to changes were communities where there were strong leaders, business leaders, community leaders. That made the difference."

Marema notes that tomorrow night, PBS will air “Coal’s Deadly Dust,” on the resurgence of black-lung disease among coal miners, done by Berkes with filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon.