How to talk about climate change in rural America

Approach

This story involved a lot of driving. I visited White Cloud, Kansas, and Fayetteville, Arkansas, to report on how rural communities were addressing climate change. It was extremely rewarding to get in touch with these niche experts and have them, in turn, pass me along to even more sources. In the beginning, I wasn't even sure if such a story could be reported. Would they welcome someone from a distant news outlet? Would they be willing to share these nuanced, complicated feelings about the world they lived in? But again and again I would ask my sources, "Do you know of someone who does XYZ?" and they would almost always say, "Oh, you mean Jill? Yeah, let me get your her phone number."

Results

• One of the most popular stories on KCUR's website for June

• Developed niche sources that continued to reach out after this story was finished

• Audience reception was extremely positive

• Shared by third party news aggregator like Giving Compass and the Sierra Club