Television Program Raises Issues and Opportunities for Rural Communities

“A Hidden America: The Children of the Mountains” a recently aired segment on ABC’s 20/20 program focusing on vulnerable children and families in Appalachia, was one of the highest rated shows from ABC’s 20/20 program in the past five years.

Due to its success, ABC has produced two follow-up reports. One will air on World News Tonight and the other is a special 15 minute segment for the Feb. 20 installment of 20/20. This report will focus on policies and solutions for some of the children and family issues raised in the first episode.

Dee Davis, founder and president of The Center for Rural Strategies will again be a part of that 20/20 segment. Rural Strategies board member Justin Maxson, president of the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development, will also be interviewed for the segment. The program will air at 10 p.m. ET, Friday, Feb. 20, 2009.

The Center for Rural Strategies, a grantee of the Kellogg Foundation, is a public communications organization that seeks to improve rural life by increasing public understanding about the importance and value of rural communities. With the help of media, they strategically reframe the broad public discourse that defines rural communities, and attempt to create an environment in which positive changes can occur. They also work with communities and nonprofit organizations to incorporate media and communications into their work in support of strategic goals.