In this episode of Matter of Fact, guest host Morgan Gill takes listeners behind RHCJC News’ reporting on efforts to revive chamber-style business support in Greene County. The episode explores why local leaders, business owners and community members say small businesses need stronger connections, better visibility and more consistent support in a rural county where local spending can have an outsized impact.

Through reporting, soundbites and analysis, the episode looks at how Main Street Leakesville’s Economic Development Committee hopes to rebuild a network that helps businesses feel less isolated and more supported. It also examines the broader questions behind the effort: what rural economic development looks like in practice, what gaps still exist for small businesses and why local journalism matters in holding those promises accountable.

Listeners will also hear from Senior Reporter Kristen Kaylor in our “Behind the Lens” segment about how the story came together in the field, followed by a “What Is True?” conversation with Walker Scott on how audiences and journalists can better evaluate claims about economic development and community growth.

In this episode of Matter of Fact, we take a closer look at the reopening of the Perry County Museum in Runnelstown and what it means for a community working to preserve its history.

More than 20 years after Hurricane Katrina disrupted the county’s original museum, artifacts once scattered across storage spaces and private homes are being brought back together in a new public space. This episode explores how local volunteers helped make that happen, why preserving local history matters and how the museum could become an important resource for education and community memory.

Guest host Whitney Argenbright walks through the deeper story behind the reopening, from the loss of the original museum to the effort now underway to reconnect younger generations with Perry County’s past. The episode also features a behind-the-scenes conversation with junior reporter JC Roberts about the reporting process, followed by a What Is True? segment with Walker Scott on how journalists verify local history, oral tradition and community memory.

This episode was adapted from RHCJC News reporting on the Perry County Museum and highlights the role local journalism plays in documenting the people, places and stories that shape a community.

In this episode of Matter of Fact, we examine how a grassroots effort in Lumberton, Mississippi, is working to rebuild local access to information by bringing back a print newspaper. Based on the RHCJC News story, “Grassroots effort brings print newspaper back to Lumberton,” this episode looks at why that effort matters in a community where many residents have struggled to find timely, consistent and accessible local news.

The episode follows the evolution of The Lumberton Post from a Facebook group into a physical newspaper now distributed in local businesses. Along the way, it explores a larger question facing many small communities: What happens when important local information is scattered across social media, hard to find or missed entirely by the people who need it most? Through the voices of Leanna Dreher and John Maroney, listeners hear how the push for a print paper grew out of concerns about the digital divide, inconsistent access to community updates and the need for a more inclusive way to keep residents informed.

You’ll also hear from RHCJC News reporter JC Roberts about his field reporting process and what this story revealed about the role of community journalism in places often overlooked by larger media systems. In our What Is True? segment, Media Literacy Coordinator Walker Scott breaks down what this story teaches us about news deserts, media literacy and the importance of building reliable local information networks that people can trust and use.

This episode is not just about a newspaper. It is about access, participation and what it takes to keep a community connected.