Does American democracy survive without the backbone of independent local journalism? Go inside The Storm Lake Times, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper serving an Iowa town that has seen its fair share of changes in the 40 years since Big Agriculture came to the area. Editor Art Cullen and his family dedicate themselves to keeping the paper alive as local journalism across the country dies out.
63-year-old Cullen and his family are responsible for keeping their community informed while facing a discouraging reality: over the last 20 years, nearly 2,000 local papers across the country have met their demise.
Filmmakers Jerry Risius and Beth Levison followed the story of the Cullen family as Storm Lake became the COVID-19 epicenter of Iowa, and the community relied on reporting from the Storm Lake Times more than ever. Through continued setbacks, financial losses, and quarantine, the Cullens continued to deliver the news.
“Answering the question ‘what do we lose when local journalism is gone?’ is an urgent issue with devastating consequences for communities across the country,” said filmmakers Jerry Risius and Beth Levison. “We wanted to show the high-stakes nature of what’s going on with media, through the prism of the Cullen family; dedicated, talented, outstanding journalists, who are committed to delivering the news to their town. Their reporting throughout the pandemic showed their resilience, and the critically important role that local journalists play during uncertain times.”
“Storm Lake” will air on Panhandle PBS Monday, November 15 at 9 p.m. Panhandle PBS presents an online screening and discussion of “Storm Lake” on November 10 at 6 p.m. from the safety and comfort of your own home. To RSVP for this screening, visit panhandlePBS.org/presents or call (806)371-5479.
