Rethinking local news for BIPOC communities in rural America with Black by God’s Crystal Good

Local News Matters

Crystal Good, founder and publisher of Black by God | The West Virginian, discusses her journey from poet and advocate to media entrepreneur, building a publication that centers on Black voices and stories in Central Appalachia. She shares her approach to rural journalism, blending reported news, features, and community writing to serve a population often overlooked by traditional media. Crystal also delves into the challenges and opportunities of creating a sustainable revenue model for a local news outlet.

As she talks through her vision, Crystal emphasizes the importance of preserving authentic voices, building trust with readers, and fostering community participation. Her unique “folk reporters” program empowers citizen journalists to cover civic issues and public meetings. Crystal also shares her plans to leverage technology to amplify Black stories in the region and highlights the need for Black joy in media coverage.

The conversation covers the broader landscape of rural BIPOC communities, West Virginia’s interaction with national politics, and how a background in poetry influences Crystal’s storytelling approach. With a mission to build community, inspire action, and reflect the diverse reality of Appalachia, Crystal is redefining what local news can be.

Episode chapters:

(00:03:06) - The origin story of Black by God

(00:07:18) - The need for Black-centered news in West Virginia

(00:11:10) - Black by God’s audience as rings of influence

(00:13:32) - Innovation and technology in rural journalism

(00:17:07) - Transparency, advocacy and voice in journalism

(00:24:08) - Citizen journalism and the Folk Reporters program

(00:28:42) - Preserving voice and authenticity in storytelling

(00:32:05) - Managing a one-woman publication and finding support

(00:35:24) - Reflecting Black joy and the unique needs and challenges of rural BIPOC communities

(00:40:01) - Influence of Crystal’s poetry background on her journalism

(00:42:02) - West Virginia perspectives on national politics

(00:45:01) - Rapid-fire questions

(00:51:08) - Media and local recommendations

Links:

• Crystal Good: Linkedln, Twitter/X

• Black by God | The West Virginian https://blackbygod.org/

• Mentioned

• West Virginia University

• The Beacon Digest

• Carter G. Woodson

• Booker T. Washington

• Steve Harvey

• Bill Withers

• Katherine Johnson

• Hidden Figures

• Press Forward

• Tiny News Collective

• Indiegraf

• Squared Away

• The Kerner Commission Report

• Local recommendations

• New River Gorge

• Charleston, West Virginia

• Drive through Northern West Virginia and Harpers Ferry

• Drive through Southern West Virginia

• Restaurants of James Beard award-winning chef Paul Smith

• Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts by Crystal Wilkinson

• Media recommendations

• Media 2070 Report

• Black Iowa News

• Andi Marie Tillman

• Local News Matters: web, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn

• Pirate Audio

• Colorado Press Association: web, Twitter, Facebook

• Tim Regan-Porter: bio, Twitter

For show notes, transcripts, newsletter sign-up and past guests on the Local News Matters podcast, please visit localnewsmatterspodcast.com or lnmpod.com.

Past guests on the Local News Matters podcast include: Lisa Snowden (Baltimore Beat), Karen Rundlet (INN), Jim Brady (Knight Foundation), Candice Fortman (Exit interview, Outlier Media), Jean Friedman-Rudovsky (Resolve Philly), Jay Rosen (NYU), Sue Cross (Exit interview, INN), Mary Margaret White (Mississippi Today), Amy Kovac-Ashley (Tiny News Collective), Michael Shapiro (TAPinto), Kenny Katzgrau (redbankgreen and Broadstreet), John Garrett (Community Impact), Shannon Kinney (Dream Local Digital), Larry Ryckman (The Colorado Sun), Frank Mungeam (Local Media Association), Kelly Ann Scott (Alabama Media Group), Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita (URL Media), Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro (National Trust for Local News), Mike Rispoli and Richard Young (via When the People Decide), Sarabeth Berman (American Journalism Project), Rabbi Hillel Goldberg and Shana Goldberg (Intermountain Jewish News), Lyndsay C. Green (via The Journalism Salute), Rashad Mahmood and Mark Glaser (New Mexico Local News Fund), Christian Vanek and Barbara Hardt (The Mountain-Ear), Dan Grech (BizHack), Zack Richner (Easy Tax Credits), Tracie Powell (Pivot Fund), Dan Oshinsky (Inbox Collective), Linda Shapley (via What Works), Yehong Zhu and Jake Seaton (Zette, Column), Charity Huff (January Spring), Joaquin Alvarado and Dave Perry (Aurora Sentinel), Steve Waldman (Rebuild Local News), Maritza Félix (Conecta Arizona), Michael Bolden (American Press Institute), Jeff Roberts and Corey Hutchins (CFOIC, Colorado College), Eve Pearlman and Erica Anderson (Spaceship Media), Jennifer Brandel (Hearken, Democracy SOS), Corey Hutchins with Bay Edwards, Todd Chamberlain and Raleigh Burleigh (Sopris Sun).