More than 75 people gathered to hear from Lyndsey Gilpin, founder and editor of Southerly Magazine, Tuesday evening.
Gilpin spoke about her experience as an environmental journalist focusing on the South. The event was co-sponsored by the Hart Leadership Program and the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy.
Independent and nonprofit, the news site covers the intersection of ecology, justice and culture in the American South. In addition to publishing in-depth journalism, Southerly hosts forums in rural and underserved communities to learn what issues people want to see covered. Gilpin noted that regional publications—like Southerly—can fill an important void in the media landscape, helping to provide context and connections for issues affecting communities. Frustrated by the monolithic and stereotypical depictions of the South produced by many national media organizations, she founded the publication in 2016 initially as an email newsletter. It has since grown to a full website that supports the efforts of freelance journalists. One goal is to build greater trust between journalists and the communities they serve, Gilpin noted.
A full video recording of the event is available below:
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