Rethinking local news for BIPOC communities in rural America with Black by God’s Crystal Good (LNM Episode 42)

Crystal Good, founder and publisher of Black by God | The West Virginian, discusses her journey from poet and advocate to media entrepreneur, building a publication that centers on Black voices and stories in Central Appalachia. She shares her approach to rural journalism, blending reported news, features and community writing to serve a population often overlooked by traditional media. Crystal also delves into the challenges and opportunities of creating a sustainable revenue model for a local news outlet.

As she talks through her vision, Crystal emphasizes the importance of preserving authentic voices, building trust with readers and fostering community participation. Her unique “folk reporters” program empowers citizen journalists to cover civic issues and public meetings. Crystal also shares her plans to leverage technology to amplify Black stories in the region and highlights the need for Black joy in media coverage.

The conversation covers the broader landscape of rural BIPOC communities, West Virginia’s interaction with national politics, and how a background in poetry influences Crystal’s storytelling approach. With a mission to build community, inspire action and reflect the diverse reality of Appalachia, Crystal is redefining what local news can be.

Episode chapters:
(00:03:06) – The origin story of Black by God
(00:07:18) – The need for Black-centered news in West Virginia
(00:11:10) – Black by God’s audience as rings of influence
(00:13:32) – Innovation and technology in rural journalism
(00:17:07) – Transparency, advocacy and voice in journalism
(00:24:08) – Citizen journalism and the Folk Reporters program
(00:28:42) – Preserving voice and authenticity in storytelling
(00:32:05) – Managing a one-woman publication and finding support
(00:35:24) – Reflecting Black joy and the unique needs and challenges of rural BIPOC communities
(00:40:01) – Influence of Crystal’s poetry background on her journalism
(00:42:02) – West Virginia perspectives on national politics
(00:45:01) – Rapid-fire questions
(00:51:08) – Media and local recommendations

Listen to the episode here:

Full transcript:

(recorded via Riverside.fm; transcript automated via Castmagic.io, mostly unedited)

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:00:00]:Because when you're dealing with citizen journalists, right, and, quote, unquote, not the big J, but the little j, you know, you have to think about a—I think about a story differently. Like, can people understand this if we keep this phrasing? Can we keep this writer's voice and their accent or, you know, their way of phrasing that's, you know, traditional in the sense of the way Appalachians talk, which is, you know, maybe in a bit of an old English if you really wanna get into the to the linguistics of it. But, you know, so I am challenged there, and I'm constantly asking myself, are we doing enough news? Am I doing news right? You know, but the bottom line is there. Are you telling the truth? Did you fact check it? Do you think people can understand it? Then let's run it. You know? So with that, I'm proud. You know, we're working on it, but, you know, I think we're developing into something else. I don't know what to call it. You know what I mean? Like, it's a community newspaper with community reporters, and we mix in traditional reporters and reported pieces right beside features and opinion. So to me, it's the kind of newspaper that I wish would have been around when I was, you know, dreaming of a newspaper. And maybe I was dreaming of this one. But, you know, it's exciting.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:01:30]: Welcome to the Local News Matters podcast, where we explore pathways to stronger journalism, better businesses, and healthier communities. I'm Tim Regan-Porter, CEO of the Colorado Press Association.

This episode, I talk with Crystal Good, the founder and publisher of Black by God | The West Virginian, a multimedia publication focused on Black voices and stories in Central Appalachia. Crystal shares how her work addresses the information gap in rural Black communities while also combatting long-standing erasure in Appalachian media.

We discuss her journey from poet and advocate to publisher, her vision for uplifting underrepresented voices, and her innovative approach to rural media, including community-based journalism and folk reporting. Crystal reflects on the importance of centering Black joy, building trust with her readers, and creating space for community participation in shaping their own narratives. With deep ties to her region and a mission that transcends storytelling, Crystal is paving the way for a new type of rural local news that is both reflective and responsive to the needs of the community.

If you like this episode and what we're doing more generally, please follow in your favorite podcast app, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and tell your friends about us. This is a side project and a labor of love, and your support means a lot. You can find past episodes, full transcripts, and relevant links, and sign up for our newsletter at localnewsmatterspodcast.com, or for lazy typists like me at lnmpod.com. You also follow us on most social media channels @lnmpod.

And now I bring you Crystal Good.

Welcome, Crystal. It's great to have you on the podcast.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:03:05]: Thanks, Tim. Glad to be here.

The origin story of Black by God

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:03:06]: Well, why don't you start with, just telling us a little bit about Black by God and why and how you started it.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:03:14]: Oh, sure. Well, hello, everybody. My name is Crystal Good. I'm the founder and publisher of Black by God The West Virginian. We center Black voices in Central Appalachia. Let me first explain the name. A lot of people are like, is this religious? Is this, what? Well, you know, the news is kind of my ministry. So, you know, in that sense, you know, I take the “by God” seriously.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:03:37]: And one of the things about being by God, Black by God, is anybody can be whatever by God they wanna be. Just to clarify, you can be Italian by God. You can be, Muslim by God. Whatever by God fits you in Central Appalachian, West Virginia, we hope that Black by God inspires you. Now the name comes from the way we West Virginians like to differentiate ourselves from the other Virginia. We say we are West by God. So it's a local phrase, but turned out to be a very powerful name for this small newspaper that got started in 2020. We've been doing about four prints a year and always online posting.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:04:16]: We've got social media and dibble and dabbling and some more video production and things, and we really center Black voices, which to me and maybe to your listeners might be so surprising that with such a niche market, and sort of a niche identity that we would be successful and we would still be here. But what I found is that people are hungry. They're hungry for local news. They're hungry for seeing their community. They're hungry for just something that helps them feel connected and somebody they can trust. And so I feel that Black by God over the past four years, we've been steadily growing, but really trying to understand how do we do engagement. Right? How do, how are our readers not somebody we talk at, but somebody we talk with?

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:05:02]: And so what was your background?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:05:04]: I started Black by God when I was in a master's program at WVU, West Virginia University. And the program was a master's program through the School of Journalism there, to help folks understand the news business. Right? And really help people understand how it's profitable to buy newspapers. A lot of newspapers across the country, small papers are for sale, and I learned a lot about that process. The only challenge was there wasn't a newspaper for me to buy. There was not a newspaper in central Appalachia or, you know, mostly across Appalachia, which is a very big region for Black news and Black-centered news. So I created what wasn't there. And now, but the fun part about this is, Tim, this is my 16-year-old dream.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:05:48]: When I was 16 years old, I tried to buy the last Black newspaper in West Virginia. It was called the Beacon Digest. And I like to tell people I get my news, honest. My dad worked his way up from janitor to news director in West Virginia. He worked for the Fox station. And, you know, to have that kind of role model in front of me, maybe I'm a little bit more fearless than other folks, because I get the news honest. But when I was 16, I asked my dad to go talk to the owner of the newspaper and see if I could buy it. And he came back and let me know, baby girl, they're not gonna sell you the paper, but you can sell ads for them.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:06:23]: And I was like, I'm not doing that. And I don't even know where this confidence or arrogance came from as a 16-year-old girl, but I knew that I could do the news. Maybe a little bit better, you know. And then I had a vision for that. And so fast forward, I turned 50 this year, and I'm just so proud that that 16 year old girl in me didn't give up, and that the twists and turns that my life has taken as a poet, as a performer, marketing, as a lobbyist, as an advocate, have all really rolled up into this very unique moment in our news history, that allows for the technology and the considerations for a small paper like Black by God to even exist. So with that, you know, I just am comforted and reminds me just to keep believing in your dreams, and those visions that you had will twist and turn and maybe manifest.

The need for Black-centered news in West Virginia

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:07:18]: So let's talk a little bit about the need for it in West Virginia. And maybe as a way to start that, I spent most of my life in Georgia, and, of course, that's part of the Black Belt. And so there are lots of communities where Blacks are, you know, majority of the community, not in the whole state, but in a large, you know, number of cities, particularly where I was. I don't think that's the case in West Virginia. How dispersed is the Black population there, and what are the—why did you feel the need to serve this population?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:07:52]: Well, you know, my work has always been centered on Black Appalachia, you know, whether it's advocacy or whether it's my writings, essays, poems. You know? It's just my thing. I'm a proud, AfroLachian as they like to say. And, you know, I always been curious about this Black history because it's so rich. So many people don't recognize that West Virginia is the start of Black History Month with Carter G. Woodson, who was a coal miner. People don't recognize Booker T. Washington and maybe even some of the contemporaries that are out in the world now, like Steve Harvey and God rest Bill Withers’ soul. You know, Katherine Johnson from the movie Hidden Figures, you know, who got her education in West Virginia. And, you know, so some of the great heroes, those stories to me need to be amplified because it really changes the conversation of who and what people think Appalachia is. And it's important that people see Appalachia as a region, full of opportunity and prosperity, not these forgotten people or not these stupid hillbilly toothless people.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:08:57]: And then you layer that in with, oh, there's Black people there? You know, really trying to tell this story because it's important. It's important for the region that we have a voice and identity, but it's also important. And this is why local news is so important because there's things that happen in our communities, and I'll—just bring to, you know, a disaster of any type, whether it's a chemical spill or a water crisis or things that happen in communities and being able to have a network to be able to respond to that and being able to give accurate information. And that's one of the things in mainstream media and over the years, you know, Black stories would be, quote, unquote, this is a Black story about, I don't know, a fish fry or something like that. But, how to rethink Black folks in mainstream media as subjects, right, which is something I think Black by God has been influential in and encouraging reporters. You don't have to interview Black people just when you have a Black story. There's Black doctors. There's Black nurses.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:09:57]: There's Black policemen. There's Black insurance agents. You know what I mean? So it's kinda diversify your sources. Right? It's a very important thing, and I think that's a way that Black by God has been, you know, has been influential. But, you know, there's 65,000 Black folks in West Virginia, which is a very small number, but we're a small state. So and they are concentrated. They, we are concentrated in about five and six different counties. And so I do focus on those counties.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:10:25]: There are some counties in West Virginia where there's zero diversity, at least according to the census. That may or may not be true. But, you know, it is a rural state, and I think that rural media for BIPOC communities, for LGBTQ communities, for very, you know, hard to reach and hard to serve communities. And the only reason I use that language is because the network hasn't existed. We're building it now. So I am excited about the work we're doing because Black by God to me, I hope, will be part of the information that is being built of how do we do rural news. How do we do rural local news? Right? It's a little different when you're in Atlanta than when you're in, you know, Calhoun County. Right?

Black by God’s audience as rings of influence

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:11:10]: Yeah. And I and one of the things I've read, you know, hear you talking about is really representing that diversity of the community itself that, you know, I think, too many people tend to put BIPOC people in in monolithic buckets, and you really are very intentional about showcasing that diversity and telling the diversity of stories within the community.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:11:34]: Yeah. I mean, you know, one of the beautiful things about Black by God, I call it our rings of influence. Right? And this is who our audience is. Right? And so our core audience is, you know, Black folks that live and work and play in West Virginia. Right? That's who, I don't have everybody in the portal, but that's who I'm accountable to. You know what I mean? When I get an email, and I've gotten a few, that said, hey. You know what I mean? Like, your mission says this, but we're, you know what I mean, we're not seeing our community represented. Right? So so, you know, hey.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:12:06]: Note taken, and appreciate that. So I'm accountable to the Black folks in West Virginia. Now outside from that is what I would call the good white liberal community, and they are big supporters of Black by God. And I think people would be really surprised about that, but it's true. We have a large contingency of white liberal progressives that support Black by God. They support us with their donations. They support us with our shares. They support us by, we do a lot of volunteer editing.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:12:37]: There's a lot of, like, paper passing that needs to be done. And then outside from that is another circle, which is what I call the West Virginian Appalachian Diaspora. Right? And that's people of all walks, all faiths, all colors, all creeds that have an, you know, have an affinity for West Virginia. And maybe they've gone off into the world, but they love reading this little paper because it makes them feel more attached to home and it gives them a more sort of like personal connection. Right? And then outside from that, I have people like you, people that are interested, media people that are interested in Black by God because we're trying to be different, we're trying to be innovative. We're also following some very traditional, you know, ways of moving in journalism. And so those rings of influence, right, on the paper are what I keep top of mind, and I think that the diversity in that alone, really helps the paper stay true to its mission.

Innovation, technology and revenue models in rural journalism

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:13:32]: Let's talk a little bit about the ways in which you are trying to be different and, you know, innovative. What have been sort of your primary goals and principles you've brought to that?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:13:43]: Well, you know, technology, I mean, if I could really just hunker down and focus on technology, I am creating so many tools in my head that would just make things so much simpler. Like, for instance. Right? Like, if I could build this tool right now. Right? Using AI or technology that would allow Black by God to search the other news sites, other local news sites, especially nonprofit newsrooms because they often do a content share for free. Right? But what's happening is I'm missing other people's stories that, maybe they center Black voices or maybe there's something in that story that Black by God can call out and share. You know what I mean? Like, how many Black kids are on foster care? You know, things that are embedded in other stories might not be the center of them, but we would want to amplify that. But I need a tool. I need a cool tool just like you put in for your Google keywords or your Google search, that would let me know when other media publications run something that says African American, Black, you know, all of those keywords, and then we would be able to share it.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:14:47]: So, you know, I'm trying to be innovative in technology. I wanna get that tool built. I also listening to the diversity of our readers, which we have readers from 15, right, to 87 and maybe older than that. But our senior community really loves the newspaper, because they can spend time with the print, but they love a new feature that we have, which will read you the story on Black by God. So we found that, you know, a lot of our stories weren't being read, right, because some people aren't digital natives. Right? And other people are just in their car. It's just easier to just, like, play a story when you're driving from here to there. And we haven't launched a full podcast or anything like that, but allowing readers to listen to the story as they're moving through their lives is just a piece of technology and innovation that we're applying to our audiences.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:15:43]: And what's your revenue model? How are you making this work?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:15:46]: Well, the good news is, we are finally able to take ads, and I know people like, oh, ads. You know? But our ads are important. Our ads, you know, are usually from nonprofits that might be running a campaign that they need input from the community on or that are giving the community resources. You we have sponsored content that we've been doing a lot with. So we're selling ads, which is new for us. We haven't really had the capacity on our website in the last six months, I'd say. So we're selling ads. We're selling sponsored content.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:16:27]: We also have our donations, which folks, you know, you can be a monthly subscriber there. You can give us a one-time donation. We have a fiscal sponsor. We are a for-profit LLC company, but we work with a fiscal agent, and we apply for grants. So, you know, I see Black by God as a social enterprise, you know, and that, we have many revenue (streams). We also have some t-shirts for sale. So we have a good wheel of things that are coming in. Still not enough.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:16:57]: It's still not enough, but we're steady climbing, and I'm okay doing that. I feel like we've got a we've got steady growth with Black by God, and I'm very proud of that.

Transparency, advocacy and voice in journalism

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:17:07]: One of the things I read, you talked about, you know, your formula—you asked people to write about, include traditional who, what, when, where, and why, and how, but also do. So can you explain that?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:17:20]: Yeah. Well, you know, my dad passed away, and I mentioned that he was a newsman. And when he retired from television, you know, I was excited to say, hey, Dad, you know, we can do news differently. And he was very confused at how I could do news that was, you know, maybe not both sides of the story as traditional or, you know, contemporary or whatever you wanna call it, media. It’s like, well, if we're doing a story about Trump, then we have to have somebody for Trump and somebody against Trump. Right? You know? And, explaining to my dad that, you know, Black by God is very mission-driven. Right? And we see the news and reporting, as a resource to the community, and it's okay to advocate for things.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:18:04]: You don't have to have, quote, unquote, both sides of the story as long as you're transparent about your position. Right? And I think people understand Black by God's position, and that we're gonna advocate for x, y and z type of things, in our reporting and our articles. And so, you know, doing the news differently, just that alone, you know, not having to be beholden to, quote, unquote, two sides of the story and still recognize that that's still a good story. It's still a transparent story. It's still a truthful story. It's something I'm excited about and always just trying to learn more. My background is not as a traditional journalist, so I think I come in a little green with things, but sometimes being green allows you to invent and to be flexible or to listen, a little bit differently. And, you know, with the way that we tell stories in the communities we're reaching, it's so much about trust.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:19:03]: Yeah. And, you know, I've long been more on the transparency side than sometimes traditional journalism with the adherence to objectivity has focused on, but I understand people who bristle a little bit at that very notion. How do your readers respond to that, and how do you—I think it's more than just transparency. Right? You also want to convey that what you're reporting is accurate, and that it is not spin. So how do you check yourself on that, and how do your readers respond?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:19:43]: Well, you know, Black by God is a mix of reported news, features, historical. We have community writers. We have 15-year-old writers. We have… you know what I mean? So it is not a traditional straightforward hard news. Right? Because I can't keep up. You know? So we do slower news, and we really do a little, probably a little bit more around West Virginia legislative session in terms of, like, reported pieces, but we can take our time. Right? And so I think the fact that we can take our time and think about stories. And I get to work with new journalists or folks that are trying their hand. And that's always a little bit challenging because you really wanna keep people's voice.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:20:31]: And one of the critiques that I got the other day was, like, how much journalism do you want in Black by God? Right? Because when you're dealing with citizen journalists, right, and, quote, unquote, not the big J, but the little j, you have to think about—I think about a story differently. Like, can people understand this if we keep this phrasing? Can we keep this writer's voice and, and their accent or, you know, their way of phrasing that's traditional in the sense of the way Appalachians talk, which is, you know, maybe in a bit of an old English if you really wanna get into the linguistics of it. But, you know so I am challenged there, and I'm constantly asking myself, are we doing enough news? Am I doing news right? You know, but the bottom line is there. Are you telling the truth? Did you fact check it? Do you think people can understand it? Then let's run it. You know? So with that, I'm proud. You know, we, you know, we're working on it, but, you know, I think we're developing into something else. I don't know what to call it. You know what I mean? Like, it's a community newspaper with community reporters, and we mix in traditional reporters and reported pieces right beside features and opinion.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:21:47]: So to me, it's the kind of newspaper that I wish would have been around when I was, you know, dreaming of a newspaper. And maybe I was dreaming of this one, but, you know, it's exciting.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:22:00]: I love that way of thinking. You know, I worked, I taught at a university for a while, and just seeing how the kids interacted with social media, they don't make these distinctions that, you know, a lot of us do. You know, they're—you go from a cat video to a Trump story to a hurricane story to, you know, your grandma's latest post or whatever. And it's just all content, and there is a difference. But they're not necessarily looking for it to be packaged in the way we've sort of drawn these silos. And, ultimately, you know, I think your goal is to serve readers and to get them engaged and enticed.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:22:39]: And it's an information highway. You know what I mean? And that to me, you know, especially in a rural state like West Virginia, you know, it's like, oh, once we build it. You know what I mean? And my goal is to have, you know, a very large part of Central Appalachia's Black community in our portals, whether that's our newsletter, which we send out every week, whether—and we have two, we have actually three newsletters. We have a newsletter we send out every week, and we're starting a Black by God Agriculture and a Black by God Tech newsletters that will go out once a month. We post online frequently. We have our print. We have our TikTok and our Instagram and our Facebook. And so there's some place that people can jump in.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:23:22]: You know what I mean? And my goal is to have a large diversity of Central Appalachia's BIPOC community. And, you know, the other day, a reader was saying, oh, you know, don't you want Black by God to, like, grow to be national? And I said, no. And they said, oh, we're so disappointed. And I said, but I believe that if we can get really good, you know what I mean, at Central Appalachian BIPOC community, then that's our goal. And if we can get really good at it, right, then that becomes a model of how other people can do it. But, you know, my vision is very clear and always has been, and it will center on Black Appalachia. I think that's our jam, that's our niche, and we're gonna stay there.

Citizen journalism and the Folk Reporters program

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:24:08]: Let's talk a little about the citizen journalism aspect. You know, I think I've said on my podcast before, I think it's the only way we address some of our core problems in news. Attracting people is a challenge these days, and particularly when it comes to diversity. And, you know, getting a journalism degree requires a certain amount of privilege, going to college and being able to work for free for an internship, which some of the competitive jobs basically require or at least low wage. But our, you know, people in the community are the ones who have the information needs and often have the information, and they have skills and knowledge and resources, and we've gotta tap into that and bring them in as part of the process. So what's your approach to that, and what are the, what tips would you give people if they really wanna involve their community more?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:25:02]: Well, Black by God, our program is called Folk Reporters. I also have a background as a folklorist, and so blending sort of traditional fieldwork with a folklorist vision with traditional reporting. So there you get folk reporters, and Folk Reporters is really pretty much what I call a bootleg Documenters program. I don't know if you're familiar with Documenters or not, but that's what we want to be, but we're not there. And, you know, I have to remind people I'm just one person. You know what I mean? Like, I'm the managing editor. I sell ads. I update the website.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:25:35]: I do the newsletter. You know what I mean? I do have some support, some contract support, but for the most part, you know, I'm one person. So citizen journalists are essential. I don't have a labor force. You know what I mean? And even if I were to go court at colleges and universities, there's very few diversity inside these, you know, these majors. Right? So we have to think about how nontraditional journalists enter in, and folk reporting in West Virginia, has been very successful. We've been able to have a cross section of people and work with them to meet, you know, to meet them where they are. Some people might wanna write a reported piece, 1200 words.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:26:19]: Some people might wanna do an opinion. Some people might wanna just, you know, do a tweet thread. Some people might go to a—and I should clarify that Folk Reporters is specifically to cover community meetings and civic issues. Right? So we want folk reporters at the dogcatchers meeting. We want folk reporters at the legislature, at city council, at the public service commission, all the places, you know what I mean, where public policy is being discussed. Because that's where I see the greatest need and what we've lost in local reporters is that we don't have people to cover the city council. We don't have people to cover what's going on at the water commission. You know, because lack of reporters or we all know how they've been bought up by conglomerates, and conglomerates don't really care about your local education tax levy.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:27:05]: You know what I mean? So, folk reporters has been very good at that. It's also been just eye opening. Right? I'm so excited. We finally have a little bit of funding that's come in, and I can really kinda wrap my arms around the Folk Reporters program and get it ready for West Virginia legislative session, which will be in January. And I'm specifically gonna work with reporters, citizen journalists to cover legislative session. And I'm super excited about that because Black by God put the first Black reporter in West Virginia's history in the legislative press pool two years ago. And, you know, we'll be able to continue our work there, which is really just kinda trying to be a bridge about what's going on in the capitol and how people can get involved. And, you know, the way we enter into a story is different, and I do take a little heat.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:27:57]: You know what I mean? Like, in terms of, like, folks saying, well, how much journalism—I just can't get over that quote—how much journalism is Black by God? I’m thinking the whole thing is journalism. This is journalism. But, you know, back to the who, where, when, what, why, how, and what do you want people to do. Right? Like, sometimes we want people to do something, and that is, like, come to the capitol and listen, just like we're doing. Come to a meeting, learn something more, or we want you to share this. Right? We want you to do something. So participatory journalism, participatory civic journalism is something I'm so excited about and really looking forward to this next year because with a little bit of funding, I think we'll be able to really start to build our Folk Reporters program.

Preserving voice and authenticity in storytelling

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:28:42]: I also appreciated what you were saying about voice. And as someone who came from outside of journalism and got my journalism start in magazine journalism, where there is a little more voice, I do think we have a problem where we tend to edit that out. And I think that hurts us with audiences and building trust as well. So how do you approach bringing out the voice, but also getting what you need as an editor?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:29:07]: Well, I mean, sometimes you have to read things slower, and you have to be a little bit more cautious with that red pen. You know what I mean? Like, really think about, like, well, they said it this way, but will people understand it? You know what I mean? Like, and can we keep their voice and maybe we need to give a little bit more clarifier or put something in parentheses or, you know what I mean, put a footnote. I mean, there's so many different ways to be creative and keep people's voices. And now with AI, I think that's more, I think that makes it even more special. Right? Because it's keeping, you know—just for example, a very Appalachian thing is a double noun. Right? So you would say stair step, which you don't need to. Right? You just can pick stair or you can pick step. You don't need to put them together.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:29:53]: Right? But double nouns are very common in Appalachia, which is something that people would edit out. You know what I mean? But this is something that we can keep in. Right? And other little things like that that kinda keep it, you know, in the local language, but also in the vernacular. And, you know, to me, that's important, and that's sort of, you know, where my background as a poet and you know? But I can see people that guest edit and volunteer edit with us. You know, sometimes they struggle in that, and people are just like, oh, we gotta follow the rules. If it's not AP, then it's not—you know what I mean? And so it's like, no. Let's just relax, and let's just think about our audience. And is the way this sentence written gonna confuse people and take them out of the article, or is it actually gonna give them maybe even a little bit more entry into the piece? And I'm sure like you, I can tell when folks have used AI.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:30:44]: You know? It's the second paragraph. Always says however. You know what I mean? And then it always ends “in conclusion.” So sometimes I feel a little college professor, you know, in terms of like, I want your voice. You know what I mean? Like, yes, we can use AI for a variety of things, headlines, helping with social media, you know, blah blah blah, things like that. I'm not afraid of the technology, but what I do see is that, you know, as news tends to grow and—well, grow I don't know. As we're diversifying, right, the landscape of media, I think, true voice, right, and local language and color and language is interesting and important for the work that I'm doing.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:31:25]: It reminds me a little bit of conversation that was happening in the public radio world maybe 10 years ago, and it's probably happened multiple times. But, you know, the public radio or the NPR voice, and how that does squash, you know, regional accents. And people of color, you know, especially are impacted by that. And I think we lose a lot, but I've not heard anybody talking about that in the written word. And I think you're absolutely right. You know? And it's part of what gives the richness to the, you know, to your location and your background. And I think it will be a distinctive factor as AI takes over the world. I think people will start to value those little specificities and idiosyncrasies more.

Managing a one-woman publication and finding support

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:32:05]: Let's talk a little bit about sort of your journey and how, first of all, just how do you manage? Like, I deal with a lot of publishers who are also one woman, one man shops or, you know, a small family, and it's just overwhelming. And, you're bringing a lot of energy to it. You're doing everything. I mean, you've got help, but that's a lot to juggle. How did you come into it, and how are you staying, keeping your head above water?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:32:37]: Well, I'll tell you three things. I'm not very good at it. I'm always, my to-do list is always there. People have to nudge me. You know, I forget things or, you know what I mean? Like, I just tell people, listen, please, I appreciate you nudging me. You know what I mean? Like, oh, because I you know, and I try to be present with people, which is one of the things that I was not expecting when I started this newspaper is how much time I would spend talking to people. Right? I am the publisher and the editor of Black by God, and people want to tell me their stories.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:33:14]: So they wanted to—so I spend a lot of time talking to people, which—I spend hours, you know what I mean? So I have to say, what's more important? But three things that have really helped me, and one is being a part of the Tiny News Collective, which really helped me build my tech stack when I first got started. A lot of amenities there, mostly just being with other small publishers. Right? And us, you know, not feeling alone. Because, one, I'm a writer. Two—do you know what I mean? I'm in West Virginia. I'm siloed. You know what I mean? So being in community with other small publishers has been just what I needed.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:33:51]: So being a part of Tiny News. Two, I also work with a company called Indiegraf. And Indiegraf is helping me with a lot of online campaigns, reader revenue, and on and on. So, Indiegraf has been a fantastic partner for me. And the third resource that I use is called Squared Away. And Squared Away is a company that is built of army wives. And I'm allowed—I'm not allowed, but I buy admin time from Squared Away. Well, that's one of the things that I had to figure out. I had to take off my plate.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:34:27]: Like, I'm spending a lot of time just scheduling meetings because I'm talking to so many different people or so many people wanna—you know what I mean? Like and so, you know, I can take that off my plate. I can take off some of the admin stuff in terms of, like, accounts receivable or paying bills and, you know, things like that. So I buy about 15 hours a month from Squared Away, and it has been the smartest decision as a small independent solo entrepreneur that I have made. And, you know, excited to see, you know, what other tasks I can sort of delegate, and how I can, you know, use my time more efficiently, not in the minutia of, you know, let me you know, whatever task it is. You know, I still have to do a lot. 15 hours isn't a lot, but it's been amazing. So those three things have really helped me manage and focus and have a team to talk with and also just get things done.

Reflecting Black joy and the unique needs and challenges of rural BIPOC communities

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:35:24]: Talk to me a little bit about rural needs, rural communities, serving rural communities. And, you know, I've had a number of podcasts with BIPOC publications, and we work with a group here in Colorado. But we tend to think of those as primarily located in urban centers. Certainly, not all of the ones I work with are. But what is distinctive about BIPOC communities and in rural communities and what they need out of their information highway?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:35:59]: Well, WiFi. West Virginia is, like, 49th, 50th on connectivity. So when people are like, why are you doing a paper? Why do I do a print paper? I do a print paper because I don't want you to use your precious Internet time. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, I do want you to read the story, but get your kids' homework done. Right? Or you know what I mean? Like, go enjoy your precious TikTok time. Or you know? So I'm mindful. You know what I mean? Not—the Internet and connectivity is not a resource that rural people have or that they use willy nilly. So that's really something that's important.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:36:34]: That's very hard for a lot of people to understand. Today, we've got good WiFi. Things are working, but sometimes this isn't the case. And some people be like, how in the world could it be that bad? I'm like, well, you know, it's rural America. And so if you don't have Starlink or you don't have this, you don't have that, you know, you're challenged. So that to me is such an important issue because not only does it impact the work I'm doing, but, you know, it also is an important resource that we think is fluid across this country. But, you know, so many pockets, especially in West Virginia, have zero connectivity. I know that's kind of mind bending for folks, but zero connectivity means you don't have the Internet and your phone doesn't work.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:37:19]: So, you know, a print paper becomes that much more important. The other thing with the print is, it makes it tactile. It makes it real. Something like Black by God laying on a counter in a Black business, you know, gets people curious and I'm very proud sometimes, you know. So the print paper is very important because we are a rural estate. And one print paper, you know, I'm finding goes across, you know, two or three or four, you know, sets of eyes. And so that's kind of a metric you can't really measure. You know what I mean? But I see it, and people tell me, you know, so and so gave me the paper, and then I gave it to so and so, and then I walked it up the street. Do you have any more? You know, things like that.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:38:05]: I've also read where you talked about, you know, your mission transcends storytelling, that it's also about building community and making sure that, you know, everyone feels heard, and you're working towards some of those solutions. So could you expand on that?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:38:20]: Yeah. You know, I should probably tone that back a little bit because, you know, all and everyone, it's very difficult. But, you know, I think we're pretty, we're very focused. I like to listen. I like to listen, and I like to crowdsource things. That's the way I've always written my poetry. That's the way I've always organized and curated my performances. Very crowdsourcing.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:38:41]: So for me, I think the more people are involved in the production of a thing, the more interest, and the more legs that it will have out in the world. So, you know, it's very important that Black by God is reflecting back the community. And, you know, I've made a commitment that on our covers, you will always see Black joy. Right? You will always see Black joy on the cover of West Virginia unless we're just running, like, straight text, like, so and so messed up, whatever that is. But if we're showing a picture, we're showing Black joy, and that's important, you know, because if you Google now, you know, Black Appalachia, you're gonna come up with some poverty photos from back in the day. You're gonna see a lot of poor coal, Black coal miners, and you're not gonna see the Black family. And so that's one of the things that I've been very strategic in trying to make sure that the community is reflected in Black by God and that as we're reflecting them, we're also taking the time to index, right, and make sure that our images, you know, are part of those search features so that we have more diversity in what people, you know, when they start to think about what is Black Appalachian as images that come up. So, you know, the work is simple when you can think about, you know, how can I reflect the community back to itself?

Influence of Crystal’s poetry background on her journalism

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:40:01]: Yeah. And you just alluded to this a little bit, but I'm curious as to, you know, your background in writing poetry and sort of that whole artistic mentality. How do you think that's impacted or changed the way you approach this versus how someone who's comes from, like, a hard news, strictly journalism background might?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:40:24]: Well, my poems have always been telling West Virginia stories, whether that's about strip mining or, you know, environmental issues. So, you know, my poems are true. They might have a bit of a metaphor in there, but I'm telling true stories that have a news story attached to them often in my poetry. My work is always centered on environmental issues. So there's plenty of that to talk about in West Virginia from coal to fracking to clean water, clean air. And so who, what, when, where, why, and how have always been a part of my process. And so I think it bridged over, and I think because of my work as a poet and advocate, people trusted me. And people have been following my social media accounts and, you know, blogs and things for a long time, you know, because they trust me to give real information and maybe some colorful commentary.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:41:18]: And so without my background as an artist, I don't think Black by God would have been able to sort of, like, take off the way that we did. I think there was a lot of trust in people and a lot of people supporting my work as an artist and also knowing that the way that I, quote, unquote, do art or curate art is always in community. You know? It's always in the tradition of, you know, if I'm reading, what three young new poets can I bring up to the stage with me and what three old poets can I bring up to the stage? You know? So I come from the tradition. I come from, you know, Black poetry tradition, and that is always to mentor, to create space, to listen, right, and to do the very best that you can.

West Virginia perspectives on national politics

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:42:02]: I'm also curious. We're, you know, we're heading into a very momentous election, and national politics and national news have already sort of taken over, I think, way too much of local life and local media. Does that look, how does that look, you know, for BIPOC communities in West Virginia specifically? How are you, how does the community interact with the national environment right now, and how are you approaching that as a publication?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:42:36]: Well, I'm thinking about it from this lens. West Virginia has always had power in the United States senate from Senator Byrd to Senator Manchin. And we know that sSnator Manchin has now left the Democratic Party and is an independent. And so I think if people were, nationally, were to explore that more and explore what the, you know, the West Virginia voter, especially the West Virginia Black voter, they would be surprised. They might gain some insights. And so I really am curious about how Joe Manchin's switch will trickle down in West Virginia and how that will change the structure of the Democratic party here because I always try to tell folks, there's a Democrat. Right? And then there's a West Virginia Democrat. And now we've got this independent party. So it's, West Virginia politics is never ending.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:43:41]: It's the wild, wild west. It's bizarre sometimes, and then sometimes it's just so truth telling of this country you can't escape it. And I think of West Virginia politics as the canary in the coal mine for the country. And, so goes West Virginia, so goes America quite often. But perhaps because of the stereotypes, perhaps because of our small population, perhaps whatever, our thoughts and our voices are not entered into a national narrative. Other than—and this has happened a lot—people will call and this is before I had Black by God and say, you know, Crystal, could you find us a Black coal miner that voted for Hillary Clinton and then voted for Trump? You know, it's almost as if so many times the national news already knows what they're looking for, and then they come in and they try to fill that as opposed to, like, looking around and really taking the temperature of a people, really getting into the nuance, really getting into the who, what, when, where, why, and what is it that we want? What is it that West Virginians want people to do? So I don't know if that's that's very clear, but, you know, I think I'm most interested in, you know, how what is a West Virginia Democrat, what is a West Virginia Republican, and now what is a West Virginia Independent.

Rapid-fire questions

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:45:01]: Fascinating. Alright. So I think we can move into rapid fire questions now, and my questions will be quick, but your answers don't have to be. So the first question, compared to a year ago, are you more or less optimistic about the future of local news? And you could—that could be local news broadly. It could be ethnic media specifically.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:45:23]: Yeah. I'm optimistic, and I'm optimistic because if one more person sends me the Press Forward, information right? Like, I have been sent the Press Forward information from strangers and friends and cousins and colleagues. So I think that they're—you know what I mean? Like, there's some money. You know what I mean? And I think that that's what's gonna make the difference, so I'm more optimistic.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:45:50]: Does AI fill you with more hope or dread when it comes to journalism?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:45:53]: Hope.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:45:54]: What is your hope?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:45:56]: Well, like I said, you know, I could use AI right now to build a tool that would make my life easier. Right? That would give me data and information that I need. So, you know, that's the way I'm thinking about it. it's a tool just like the Internet is a tool. My great-great-grandmother typeset the Columbus, Ohio newspaper by blocks. Okay? I am the great-granddaughter of a newspaper typesetter, and I can publish a newspaper with a click. Right? So don't take that lightly. You know what I mean? Like, I am, as they say, living in my ancestors' wildest dreams.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:46:34]: Right? So I think AI is just another tool like the Internet, like, you know, many of the other technical ways, and we'll get through it. And there'll be some challenges, and there'll be some problems. But on the other end of it, I mean, it is a calculator for words. You know? It's so I'm enchanted by it, but also cautious. But I'm optimistic.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:46:54]: Yeah. I was just having a conversation with a friend who is very doom and gloom about AI and journalism. You know, I was trying to explain, you know, if you're a metro daily who is super dependent on page views and CPMs, that's a very different story than community newspapers, ethnic media, people that have a different kind of relationship with their readers and who are producing unique content that is not depending on just SEO and that sort of thing.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:47:23]: It saves me a good 30 minutes to an hour. I don't know how long often I'm struggling with a headline or a cut line or something. You know what I mean? So some of these simple tasks, I can kinda automate. And to me, it's just, I can do things this year that I couldn't do last year.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:47:39]: Messy desk or clean desk?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:47:41]: Messy office.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:47:44]: Do you have a favorite piece of advice that you've been given or that you like to give?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:47:49]: Yeah. I really do. You know, I'm a survivor of child sexual abuse, which is a little heavy, but I have lived by a slogan, and I share this as often as I can, and it deeply applies to journalism, and that is tell until somebody listens, somebody will listen.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:48:11]: Do you have a favorite failure of yours?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:48:15]: Oh gosh. I fail a lot. I've had a lot of failed businesses. You know, I don't know. I have a very failed vintage clothing business that I just realized it’s really not a business because you're just buying things and trying to sell them. You know, I've had a lot of unsuccessful consulting businesses, things that—you know what I mean? Like, I can look back and say, well, why was it unsuccessful? Because I didn't make money, but what I gained in social capital, what I gained in experience, what I gained in just picking yourself up and trying again, I think failures are just such an important part of growth. And if you're not, you know, as they say, fail faster.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:48:59]: I asked that because I just don't think we talk about failure enough, and fear of failure, I think, holds us back so often. What's one thing you do to restore yourself and just maintain your sanity?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:49:10]: I just get offline. You know what I mean? I'm fortunate. I live in one of the most beautiful places in this country. My house is 15 minutes from waterfalls. I can take you there. We can walk behind them. We could jump off rocks. We can go hiking in a rhododendron forest.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:49:24]: You know what I mean? Like, there's just so many beautiful things. West Virginia is beautiful. So I like to unplug, spend time with friends, travel. But when I'm present online, I like to be present. And when I'm offline, I like to be offline.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:49:39]: Do you have a favorite time saving hack?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:49:41]: Squared Away.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:49:42]: I'm gonna check them out. Five years out, what does wild success look like for Black by God?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:49:49]: Folk Reporters program is thriving, and it's from the top of the state to the bottom of the state. You know what I mean? So I'm very ambitious about that. Five years from now, Black by God will have five magazines. I'm looking to do a print magazine, something that will center on travel and tourism and agriculture for Black West Virginia. And, you know, I say that because I love the print, but it breaks my heart when the paper turns yellow and it just gets old. So every year, Black by God, starting now, I hope we will be able to produce sort of an evergreen travel and tourism book. The other hope that I have in five years is that I am publisher, but not managing editor and etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. That there will be one person or two people or three people in those roles, and that we will have in five years, we will have someone who wrote their first story from Black by God win a nice big prize. Maybe it's a Pulitzer. Maybe it's something from local journalism, but I want Black by God to be a successful journalist’s first byline.

Media and local recommendations

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:51:08]: Godspeed. Someone visiting West Virginia, what are three to five places or activities that you would recommend?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:51:17]: Well, you have to go to New River Gorge. I like to explain it this way. You know, there's Sedona vortex, and there's all these other, like, special places across the country that people think hold some energy, and you haven't seen anything until you've seen my magic mountains. So I would encourage you to go to the New River Gorge, Fayetteville, and just have lots of fun adventures out there. I love my hometown, Charleston, West Virginia. You won't find another little town like it. In the summertime, there's a festival every weekend. Free concerts.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:51:55]: The city is on the river. It's in a valley. So it's against the river, and the mountains is beautiful. It's also the capitol of Charleston, and we have a very elegant over the top capitol with a gold dome. You should really see it. So, you know, I think Charleston is a special place, and then I would encourage folks to get—take your pick. You can go to the northern part of West Virginia, which is like Harpers Ferry, and there's a rich story there. If you don't know about John Brown, that's an important piece of American history.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:52:24]: Or you could head down to Southern West Virginia and really just take a drive through either ways. If you're going north, take a nice drive. If you're going south, take a nice drive, and you'll go through so many you really see the diversity not just of the landscape, but of how people live. And, you know, maybe you'll understand what the, what type of freedom is in West Virginia and what type of sort of, you know, it's not for everybody. And I just appreciate people that do come here because if you come here, I know you got a little something special about you. You got a little spunk. You know what I mean? You got a little adventure in you.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:53:02]: What about the cuisine there?

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:53:03]: Oh, well, I'm very excited. You know, I was very fortunate to be part of the James Beard award this year, and West Virginia chef Paul Smith won the James Beard award for best chef in the Southeast. So Appalachian cuisine is having a moment, and Black Appalachian cuisine is having a moment. Also, there's a cookbook by Crystal Wilkinson that's called Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. It's been covered on Oprah and The New York Times. So, you know, Appalachian cuisine is having a moment, so I encourage you get on down here. You can have some traditional, like, beans and cornbread type things, but I would be excited to share the amazing fruit that West Virginia produces from pawpaw trees to peaches to plums. I mean, we are really in an oasis and a mecca for fruit, that people don't necessarily think of when they think of West Virginia.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:53:58]: You know? They think of a Georgia peach, not a West Virginia peach. But, if it's summertime, I hope that we, if you come, you fill your bellies with some delicious fruit and start to think about what is Appalachian cuisine, and investigate.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:54:13]: And then the final question, three to five pieces of media that you would recommend, and these can be just personal favorites. They don't have to be news. They can be podcast, TV, whatever, books.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:54:24]: I try to get everybody that does work with me to read the Media 2070 report. It's very important. So the Media 2070 report is about media reparations, but it's also pulling on the Kerner report of 1956, I believe, that's really kinda talking about why Black media and why BIPOC media matters to America, because of democracy, and it really outlays that. So Media 2070, absolutely. Other three pieces of media. You know, I really love Black Iowa News. They inspire me. They encourage me.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:55:02]: They're another small Black media outlet in a rural state. So I keep my eye on them, and that's really encouraging. And then, you know, I think I'm trying to figure out how to be more, you know, video content, TikTok content. So there's a one Appalachian TikToker, and I just get inspired by her because she's funny. She's, you know, very traditional in trying to explain, like, who Appalachia is, what Appalachia is, and her name is Andy. Hold on…. I'm almost there. Andi Tillman. Andi Marie Tillman. So for, like, contemporary TikTok content that teaches, right, that tells a story, but it's not news, but it is news, Andi Marie Tillman, hands down.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:55:53]: Well, great. This has been a real treat. I really love what you're doing and your vision, and I'll have to thank Michael Bolden for recommending I talk with you.

CRYSTAL GOOD [00:56:01]: Aw. Thanks, Michael. And it was great to talk to you too.

TIM REGAN-PORTER [00:56:08]: Thank you for listening to the Local News Matters podcast. Never miss an episode by subscribing in your favorite podcast player and sign up for our newsletter at lnmpod.com.

And thanks to our production partners at Pirate Audio. Pirate Audio believes every community deserves great things to listen to, and they're on a mission to help local newsrooms reach their communities via audio. If you're interested in starting a podcast or need production support for an existing one, let me know, and I'll be happy to connect you.

If you have guest recommendations, others doing interesting and innovative work in local news, let me know through the contact form at the website, lnmpod.com.

Past guests on the Local News Matters podcast include: Lisa Snowden (Baltimore Beat), Karen Rundlet (INN), Jim Brady (Knight Foundation), Candice Fortman (Exit interview, Outlier Media), Jean Friedman-Rudovsky (Resolve Philly), Jay Rosen (NYU), Sue Cross (Exit interview, INN), Mary Margaret White (Mississippi Today), Amy Kovac-Ashley (Tiny News Collective), Michael Shapiro (TAPinto), Kenny Katzgrau (redbankgreen and Broadstreet), John Garrett (Community Impact), Shannon Kinney (Dream Local Digital), Larry Ryckman (The Colorado Sun), Frank Mungeam (Local Media Association), Kelly Ann Scott (Alabama Media Group), Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita (URL Media), Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro (National Trust for Local News), Mike Rispoli and Richard Young (via When the People Decide), Sarabeth Berman (American Journalism Project), Rabbi Hillel Goldberg and Shana Goldberg (Intermountain Jewish News), Lyndsay C. Green (via The Journalism Salute), Rashad Mahmood and Mark Glaser (New Mexico Local News Fund), Christian Vanek and Barbara Hardt (The Mountain-Ear), Dan Grech (BizHack), Zack Richner (Easy Tax Credits), Tracie Powell (Pivot Fund), Dan Oshinsky (Inbox Collective), Linda Shapley (via What Works), Yehong Zhu and Jake Seaton (Zette, Column), Charity Huff (January Spring), Joaquin Alvarado and Dave Perry (Aurora Sentinel), Steve Waldman (Rebuild Local News), Maritza Félix (Conecta Arizona), Michael Bolden (American Press Institute), Jeff Roberts and Corey Hutchins (CFOIC, Colorado College), Eve Pearlman and Erica Anderson (Spaceship Media), Jennifer Brandel (Hearken, Democracy SOS), Corey Hutchins with Bay Edwards, Todd Chamberlain and Raleigh Burleigh (Sopris Sun).