Project Archives

Real Beverly Hillbillies

In 2003, the Center for Rural Strategies and thousands of other individuals and organizations across the country stopped CBS Television from producing "The Real Beverly Hillbillies," a proposed reality show based on the old situation comedy. The idea was to find a poor rural family, move them to a Hollywood mansion, and make a reality TV show out of their encounters with affluence and hip culture. Learn more.

Rural Voters

Beginning in 2004 the Center for Rural Strategies produced the Rural Tracker, a national nonpartisan poll of rural voters in battleground states. The poll was designed to show how the opinions of rural voters help shape presidential and congressional races. Learn more.

A Place in the Country

"A Place in the Country" was a one-hour television documentary, narrated by Ray Suarez, that examined the impact of seven rural community development organizations located throughout the United States. Learn more.

Donors Ourselves

"Donors Ourselves" was the story of how people in two very different places – East Africa and East Tennessee – built on their assets of leadership, local knowledge, and capital to create a brighter future for their communities. Learn more.

Campaign to Save CRA

The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) encourages banks to provide a modest amount of loans, investments, and services to poor and marginalized communities in their service areas. CRA has helped both hard-hit rural and urban communities create for themselves the services and facilities that more affluent communities take for granted.

 Rural Desk News Initiative

The Center for Rural Strategies produced, as part of the "Rural Desk News Initiative", video news pieces about issues that face today's rural Americans. The videos were distributed for free to local television stations across the country, so that they could provide their viewers with compelling, accurate, and balanced information about rural issues. They were produced and aired in the fall of 2003. Since then, Rural Strategies has produced the Yonder Report, an audio newscast distributed to radio stations each week, and launched the Rural Newswire, an online platform for syndicating rural journalism.

Rural Broadband Policy Group

The Rural Broadband Policy Group is a national coalition of grassroots, regional, and national organizations that work together to create better broadband access for rural America and other marginalized communities. Rural Strategies established the group in 2009 with two primary goals:

• To articulate national broadband policies that provide opportunities for rural communities to participate fully in the nation's democracy, economy, culture, and society.

• To spark national collaboration among rural broadband advocates.

The group is founded upon four principles:

1. Communication is a fundamental human right.

2. Rural America is diverse.

3. Local ownership and investment in community are priorities.

4. Network neutrality and open access are vital.

The Rural Broadband Policy Group petitions to the Federal Communications Commission, Congress, and individual state representatives against policies that place rural communities at a disadvantage. The group has historically advocated to protect net neutrality, rural landline service and access to 911, and more. The group also hosts public briefs, workshops, and summits and hearings to discuss rural communications issues.

WHY BROADBAND MATTERS: ONE-PAGERS FROM BROADBAND CONNECTS AMERICA

Thirty-nine percent of rural Americans lack high-speed broadband, making the digital divide one of the largest demographic gaps in the country. Bringing reliable, affordable broadband to all rural Americans is a dire 21st century need. It’s time to connect all Americans, regardless of geographical location. Rural Assembly is proud to participate on the steering committee of Broadband Connects America, a coalition working for increased broadband across rural America. The coalition has put together a series of one pagers outlining why broadband is essential for other issue priorities. Check them out and share below.

Broadband and the Arts
Broadband and K-12
Broadband and Agriculture
Broadband and Post-Secondary Education
Broadband and Civic Engagement
Broadband and Small Business and Economic Development
Broadband and Energy
Broadband Deployment and Adoption
Broadband and Healthcare
Broadband Competition
Broadband and Homeland Security

Appalachian Just Transition

In partnership with the West Virginia Reed School of Media, West Virginia Public Radio, and Appalshop’s Making Connections, Rural Strategies worked to help rural coal communities and families transition away from a coal dependent economy through the creative use of digital media.

In partnership with West Virginia University, Rural Strategies created 100 Days of Appalachia, a project dedicated to sharing the diverse stories that exist in the region. Past profiles include a 360° video series titled Muslim in Appalachia, a day in the life of a refugee from Kurdistan now living in West Virginia.

Toward a Just Economic Transition: Coalfields Economic Transition Initiative 

The decline of the coal industry places Appalachian communities, once heavily dominated by the industry, in need of fair, sustainable, and diversified economic development. This project sought to improve conditions for low-wealth communities by changing the civic discourse that affects public policy and strengthening the capacity of communities and nonprofits to advance just-transition programs.

The primary tools with which Rural Strategies accomplished this work were coalition building and communications, which included message development and distribution, technical assistance and training, research and reporting, and building communications infrastructure that served the needs of Appalachian Transition organizations. Learn more about our work through the initiative below. 

100 DAYS IN APPALACHIA

In collaboration with West Virginia University College of Media and West Virginia Public Radio, we launched 100 Days in Appalachia, a digital publication covering economics and politics of Central Appalachia. The project was a first step in building out a regional communications system that can deliver news and information about the Appalachian Transition to a diverse Appalachian audience. Learn more.

SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM

We produced solutions-based research and reports on rural economic issues including: 

• The Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Fund could be retooled to allow more support for economic and community development in hard-hit coal states.

• Rural areas with poor broadband access could benefit from a pilot project in which libraries lend wireless devices that connect students and others to the internet from home. 

• Small towns in the Midwest have engineered recreational white-water courses in rivers that run through downtown. The effort has contributed to downtown renewal and addressed water quality issues. We know of one Eastern Kentucky town that is considering a similar project.

In addition to publication in the Daily Yonder, we worked with more than 20 national and international news outlets to cover the future of the Central Appalachian economy. By providing background and sources for reporters, we helped shape stories to help them align them more closely to Appalachian Transition principles. Media involved in this activity included the New York Times, the Washington Post, RFD-TV, Congressional Quarterly, regional newspapers, and numerous public radio news programs airing on national and regional networks.

CONSULTING AND STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

Rural Strategies created strategic messages and communication principles for groups working on Appalachian Transition, including nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and philanthropies including the following:

• Fahe 

• Appalshop Culture Hub

• Appalachia Funders Network

• West Virginia Community Development Hub

• Kentucky Valley Education Cooperative

If you are interested in working with us, through direct consultation and coaching, workshop-style small-groups, or plenary presentations, please contact us at teresa@ruralstrategies.org.