Digital rural newsroom helps fill gaps left by shorthanded local papers, allowing them to use its in-depth reporting

The Border Belt Independent covers Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland 
counties in southern North Carolina. (Illustration by Xandr Brown, The Daily Yonder)

Police took a drunk man to his girlfriend's home, he killed her, and no reporting ensued. Questions?

"Mandy Chardoudi's mother was murdered by her ex-boyfriend on November 17, 2018. Chardoudi was shocked to learn nearly four years later in a Robeson County courtroom that her mother's murderer had not made his own way to her mom's house. He had been delivered to her doorstep by an on-duty Lumberton police officer. . . . Bonnie Wathey had sent the tip to a local paper on behalf of her friend, Mandy Chardoudi, whose first inquiry to the paper had gotten no traction," reports Xandr Brown of The Daily Yonder. "Sometimes news outlets consciously avoid doing stories. But other times, it's a matter of being strapped for reporters and resources. Those gaps in coverage can be harder to fill in rural areas."

Sarah Nagem reported Mandy Chardoudi’s
story. (Courtesy photo via The Daily Yonder)

Wathey did get a response from "an independent newsroom that covers four southeastern counties of North Carolina," Brown reports. "The Border Belt Independent is a nonprofit news organization that publishes a weekly digital paper with in-depth stories. Sarah Nagem, the editor of the publication, reported the story. The article went viral, circulating to news outlets statewide."

The Independent fills gaps that small, rural newspapers often don't have reporters to cover, Brown writes: "Publishing an in-depth story about the performance of local law enforcement shows why newsrooms like the Border Belt Independent are important. Nagem said that lack of local journalism capacity can be a big problem." She told Brown, "I think that, like other rural communities across America, we have elected leaders and county managers and town managers who have gotten away for a really long time with not talking to the media and not being very transparent. . . . That's one of the areas where we can help the most."

Border Belt Independent Publisher Les High

While traditional papers focus on day-to-day events, the Independent's award-winning publisher, Les High, sees it as "a dual service, providing information directly to the community and giving unique local content to the region's newspapers," Brown reports. Its four counties were once centers of the tobacco industry and textile manufacturing. . . . Today, the Border Belt Independent is helping cover the ways residents are redefining the area in positive ways — like reviving the counties' agricultural roots."

The partnership shows a dynamic shift in newspaper management. Penelope Abernathy, visiting jouirnalism professor at Northwestern University, told Brown, "In the old days, journalists on different publications competed with one another. We have lost so many journalists over the last 15 years, almost 60% of journalists. . . . Whether you're working on a digital startup site or on a traditional newspaper, a wise editor understands that the only way you're going to be able to cover what needs to be covered is to collaborate." Brown notes, "The Border Belt Independent allows local papers to republish its stories for free. It can do that because it has found other funding supporting its mission of serving rural communities." That's mainly from foundations.