The Oklahoman
Oklahoma Black Towns: A Viewpoints Project
Final Report for Ecosystem Engagement Fund grant
Editors: Clytie Bunyan and Linda Lynn
The Oklahoman – Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update
The Oklahoman intends to bring renewed focus to our state’s remaining 13 Black towns. We aim to amplify community voices and comments from allies to drive conversations that lead to better outcomes for residents.
This is an opinion project that The Oklahoman has not attempted previously. These towns often are overlooked in conversations about social and financial empowerment and development opportunities. Our goal is to offer a platform for voices from these communities and prompt conversations that may lead to public-private opportunities in these towns.
Our project’s original plan remains the same but its execution took unexpected detours due to community schedules and reporting interruptions. The project was sidelined the entire month of January because of the reporter’s previous commitment to a fellowship. In addition, our digital coordinator is no longer on staff and a replacement has not been named yet.
An additional reporter is being hired to enhance and complete the project.
Our initial expected timeline was March 31, 2024. Our actual timeline now is expected to be by the end of spring.
The Oklahoman – Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update
The Oklahoman – Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update
For the portion of the project that’s completed, we accomplished most of our defined objectives. To date, we’ve visited and gathered commentary from residents in six towns: Rentiesville, Brooksville, Summit, Tatums, Taft and Redbird.
Editing and curating of content, building design and graphics are underway for these towns.
Visual examples:
The Oklahoman – Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update
The Oklahoman – Ecosystem Engagement Fund project update
This project can be replicated in other marginalized communities to give voice to issues and concerns that are important to the people who live there, to bring awareness to the broader public and state leaders about great things happening in those communities or poor outcomes in areas such as health care, education, mental health and economic conditions.
Collaboration could involve local institutions in the area and other media partners.
Now that you’ve done the project, what would you do differently next time?
Quote about the best thing you learned from the project:
“People are happy, even when life is simple and unglamorous. Not everyone is wound up about what’s happening in the daily news cycle.”
In the collaborative’s next stop for this project, OMC plans a multimedia marketing campaign to promote local news. Please think through and list some examples here of local, trustworthy ambassadors who could help promote your news organization in a media literacy program.