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Some residents had no food, electricity, or cell service after Hurricane Helene ravaged the western part of North Carolina this fall. Amidst misinformation and no information, local media had to step in to inform desperate people fast. This month on “Meet the BIPOC Press”, we explore what media outlets did to serve their people in that moment. Laura and co-host Amir Khafagy, a journalist with the New York City-based publication Documented, speak with two local BIPOC media projects that saved lives and expanded their relationship with their communities. Our guests are Brooklyn Brown, Reporter for Cherokee One Feather, the local newspaper of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; and Magaly Urdiales, co-founder of JMPRO Community Media (“Justice Media Project”), a grassroots nonprofit that shares essential news and information with immigrant communities in Spanish, English and Mayan Indigenous languages. As they found themselves at the frontlines of relief efforts, how did these local outlets redefine journalism?
“. . . Objectivity doesn’t have to be cold. Reporting the facts doesn’t have to be without passion. That’s something I see a lot in community journalism, is that we are able to practice good journalism while also having a heart for the community that we’re covering.” – Brooklyn Brown
“I think many barriers and many problems of the corporate media came in place. We were called for people that were looking for a story, that were looking for somebody that was crying because their loved one wasn’t found yet. And for us it was frustrating . . . in a moment like this, that can be transactional.” – Magaly Urdiales
Guests
- Brooklyn Brown (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians): Reporter, Cherokee One Feather
- Magaly Urdiales: Co-founder, JMPRO Community Media
- Amir Khafagy (Co-host): Journalist, Report for America Member, Documented
Portions of this interview are featured in our episode, “BIPOC Media Answers the Call: Community Action After Hurricane Helene“.
