Op-Ed – A Meeting to Discuss How Local Journalism in West Virginia Can Challenge Mainstream Narratives and Shape a More Inclusive and Accurate Future

In an era of defamation and misinformation – we have a role as a black media outlet. A meeting to discuss how local journalism in West Virginia can challenge mainstream narratives and shape a more inclusive and accurate future!

Narratives populate our culture through literature, non-fiction, personal stories, folk stories, and the media. A narrative is a spoken or written account of a series of related events or experiences. It’s a story or a tale that can be fiction or non-fiction. In this case, we aim to discuss ways of countering narratives and the future of local journalism in West Virginia.

Local journalism is the key to countering narratives in media. Supporting local journalism outlets, utilizing counter-journalism strategies to neutralize defamatory information, and the “Countering Narratives: The Future of Local Journalism” brunch is crucial for addressing the urgent need to support and transform local journalism in West Virginia.

There is strong evidence that the decline of local news outlets like newspapers, has aided the proliferation of disinformation. This is most evident in small and rural communities, like those across our state. Supporting local journalism could help to reverse such trends.

Counter-journalism is a set of preventive actions to stop the release of defamatory materials. The demand for assistance in neutralizing defamatory articles is huge, and information attacks are becoming more common by the day with the use of artificial intelligence. Effectively executing techniques used to locate and neutralize defamatory information is also key to the future of local journalism in West Virginia.

The upcoming Black By God WV Journalism Brunch is in partnership with News Futures, The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, ACLU West Virginia, and The Real WV with support from Indiegraf. Its goal is to facilitate a comprehensive conversation with media professionals about the future of local news, ensuring its role as a vital community resource in West Virginia’s democratic society.

New York Native Alexandra Bell has been tapped as the keynote. Bell’s artwork, including her series “Counternarratives,” underscores the need for media literacy and authentic Black narratives to promote equitable representation. Alexandra’s lectures expand views to change the layout of journalism and emphasize the importance of images and the way we view text in journalism.

New Futures, a national group advocating for reimagining local news, initially supported Black By God WV in the coordination of this event. Megan Lucero, a News Futures steward, said, “We’re proud to be supporting this event. News Futures is a peer-to-peer collaborative building of a participatory and networked future for local news. Crystal Good is a valued part of our collective. Her work at Black by God inspires us, and the industry, with community-led news and storytelling of the diverse experiences of Black and BIPOC communities in West Virginia and the Appalachian region. This meeting highlights how local journalism in West Virginia can challenge mainstream narratives and, in doing so, contribute to a more inclusive future for local news in Appalachia and beyond.”

The brunch will be catered by Chef Ke, an African American Chef dominating the Charleston, West Virginia culinary scene. Chef Ke, often collaborating with Black West Virginia Farmers, is dedicated to preserving and celebrating African American culinary traditions, ensuring they are passed down and appreciated by future generations

The event will be held on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation in Charleston, West Virginia. We encourage journalists, media enthusiasts, and community members to attend and be part of shaping a more inclusive and accurate media landscape for West Virginia.

For more details and to RSVP for the brunch please register on Eventbrite here!
If interested in participating online only, please register on Zoom here!

You can also contact Traci Phillips at traci@blackbygod.org. We hope you will join us in this essential conversation about the future of journalism in West Virginia. With events like this, Black by God can continue its mission to support journalism in Appalachia, change outlooks, and highlight our community more expansively.