Local stories — big and small— are what form our communities’ identity. It’s not always easy, but capturing the realities of life in our cities connects us to visions for a brighter future for us all. Hear some of these stories below.
Journalism
The Fight for Air Quality in Kansas City, Kansas
Reporter/Producer/Editor/Camera Operator
In cities across the US, heavily polluted industrial zones are often established adjacent to communities of color and low-income residents. Flatland in Focus speaks with residents living in Kansas City neighborhoods that suffer from a history of air pollution.
Central City Economic Development
Reporter/Producer/Editor/Camera Operator
In 2017, voters approved a 1/8 percent sales tax with the goal of spurring economic development in disadvantaged neighborhoods of the city. So far, the Central City Economic Development (CCED) sales tax has awarded over $53 million and funded 39 projects. The Flatland reporting team examines these projects and gauges their effectiveness in addressing economic disparities in Kansas City.
Strategists for Kansas City’s Houseless Return to the Drawing Board
Emmy Award Winning
Director/Producer/Editor/Camera Operator/Reporter
Over the last year and a half, efforts to end homelessness have accelerated in Kansas City. Emergency shelter interventions saved the lives of many but resulted in relatively few long-term solutions. Service providers and city officials are now turning their efforts toward long-term housing options as the houseless community braces for winter.
Affordable Housing: Pricing Out Workers
Edward R. Murrow Award Winner
Director/Producer/Editor/Camera Operator/Reporter
Gentrification, a disappearance of affordable housing market and racist stigma plague Kansas City just as much as other major cities in the US. This series involved the collaboration of several producers for three short form stories that would be combined and later broadcasted on Kansas City PBS.