Rural newspapers should represent the communities they cover

Last month I wrote an article where I discussed the dangers caused by the decline of local newspapers. As I said then, for many rural communities, the local newspaper is the only source of news about local affairs and politics. Without a local news outlet, many rural residents would find themselves without a way to follow their local government and may be kept in the dark regarding the decisions that they make. However, with great power comes great responsibility. In this piece, I want to focus on the responsibilities of a rural media outlet, namely the responsibility to ensure that the diverse perspectives and experiences in the community are respected and heard.

I have been greatly disappointed in my hometown paper, The Robesonian's coverage of Hurricane Florence. As many of you may know, Robeson County, in particular, Lumberton, North Carolina was particularly hard hit by the storm and has sustained serious flooding in its aftermath. I have already covered the bizarre decision to publish a pro-price gouging piece. Now, I would like to focus on an op-ed with an interesting message regarding the quality of life in the area. 

In the op-ed, the editorial board argues that the county's leaders need to do more to ensure that the Lumber River and its associated creeks don't flood during the next major storm, a reasonable argument. After all, Robeson County is a "persistent poverty" county and routinely has the highest poverty rate in North Carolina. The consequences of multiple 1000 year floods are devastating to marginalized people, many of whom are never able to recover from the economic devastation created by such a catastrophic event. Given Robeson County's demographics, it is especially vulnerable and its leaders should work to prevent this from happening in the future. Now - you may think that The Robesonian would have made similar points in their own discussion of why it is important to act. If you thought that however, you would be wrong. They instead decided to focus on the plight of an affluent subdivision and the effects that it would have on the county if its residents decided to leave. I provide you with the offending quote below.

We also worry about our ability to hold on to the talent that is here. Look at Mayfair, which is affluent, populated with people who make this county a better place to live. What can be expected of them at the point? To stay put, cross their fingers, and know that a 1,000-year event can’t happen three times in a generation?

As I said before, a rural newspaper has a unique duty to its readers. Since it is often the only source of local news, it must duly represent the perspectives of its readers and provide information that is relevant to them. At the very least, it should not insult a large portion of its readership by insinuating that a small minority are the only ones who made "this county a better place to live" and that we must take special care to ensure that they don't leave. In discussing why it's important to prevent future flooding, they entirely neglect low-income communities, as well as communities of color. Neglecting the latter group is especially problematic since Robeson County is a minority-majority county with the largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River.

It also insinuates that people who live in affluent subdivisions are the only "talented" people in Robeson County, a statement that is also insulting to the vast majority of its readership. It is also problematic for a couple of reasons. First of all, given the issues that many rural areas face in recruiting and retaining skilled young people, it is important that those people feel that their contributions are acknowledged and appreciated, no matter what community they happen to live in. Also, it is important for a local young people to know that talent is not just limited to one geographic location or socioeconomic strata. It is problematic when the local newspaper insinuates that talent is exclusive to one group of people.

It is also misleading to say that these people may opt to leave that affluent subdivision and not just move elsewhere in the area. There are many areas in the county that are not flood prone and someone with the economic means to live in an affluent subdivision (and a desire to move) would likely also have the means to move there. Economically disadvantaged people who live in flood prone areas do not have that same luxury and their voices are missing from this piece.

A rural newspaper has a duty to reflect the perspectives of the people that it serves and in this case, The Robesonian failed greatly. This story should be a cautionary tale and an example of what happens when this duty is neglected.