“STORM LAKE reminds us that we cannot be complacent. We cannot take democracy for granted. And local reporting is a mainstay of an informed citizenry and therefore democracy.” – Des Moines Register
mama.film and the Wichita Community Foundation present a special screening of the Emmy-nominated documentary Storm Lake, followed by a conversation “The Future of Local Journalism,” with Debra Fraser (KMUW), Bonita Gooch (The Community Voice), Landon Huslig (Wichita Life ICT) and moderated by Chris Green (The Journal at KLC.) on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2022 AT 6 PM.
Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Art Cullen and his family fight to unite and inform their Iowan farming community through their biweekly newspaper, The Storm Lake Times—come hell or pandemic.
Dark clouds hang over the cornfields of Storm Lake, Iowa, which has seen its fair share of change in the 40 years since Big Agriculture came to town. Farmers blow their life savings on new equipment they hope will keep their livelihoods intact. Migrant workers flock here—welcome and not—for their slice of the American Dream. The people of Storm Lake confront a changing and precarious existence. Enter: Art Cullen and his family members who deliver local news and editorials on a shoestring budget for their 3,000 readers. This paper means a fighting chance for their beloved hometown, and by hook or by crook, they’ll make the most of it. There’s simply too much at stake.
What does the future of local journalism look like in Wichita? Following the 60-minute documentary, our panel of experts will reflect on both the film itself and the state of journalism in our community – touching on how people are receiving their local news and how that is changing, why it’s essential to have multiple points of access to what’s happening in our city and how that helps inform a healthy democracy.
