Amethyst J. Davis left her home town to attend college and start her career in the Big Apple. But a global pandemic and lack of quality information led her back home to launch a newsroom and serve her community.
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RSSAmethyst J. Davis grew up in Harvey, Illinois, a suburb on the south side of Chicago. After high school she left home to attend New York University, where she continued working at as an administrator after undergrad.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Amethyst traveled home to see her parents and couldn’t find any information on what was happening in the community. The major newspaper in Harvey had gone out of business decades earlier, and social media groups were often inaccurate or filled with misinformation.
Amethyst realized that if a young college educated professional with a background in research like herself couldn’t find accurate information on her community, then what chance would a formerly incarcerated person or a busy single mother have? This was the seed that led to Amethyst starting the Harvey World Herald.
The Harvey World Herald is digital, hyperlocal independent newsroom that serves Harvey, Illinois with the information that matters. They don’t advocate for policy, issue political endorsements, accept money from political figures or lobby on their behalf. This is a big deal in a community that has been historically plagued by corruption and mismanagement.
On this episode of Small Press, Big Ideas, I talked with Amethyst about her story and the work she’s doing now. We discuss how social media is used as a stop gap in the news deserts, and some of the downsides that go along with that.
We also talked about the overwhelmingly positive response to the Harvey World Herald, showing the thirst in the town for fair and honest reporting. Amethyst also explains how great journalism on a hyperlocal level can help a community by holding elected officials accountable, and a lot more.
Listen to the full episode wherever podcasts are found, or click play on the player above.