Ellen talks with Tim Marema, editor of The Daily Yonder, a digital news platform that provides news, information, and storytelling about rural America. Tim shares how the news ecosystem has changed since he started as a journalist 30 years ago and how it has become much more fragmented and nationalized as news deserts in rural areas increase and local journalism overall declines. Tim reflects on how the loss of local news impacts the way rural and urban communities see each other, what today’s news ecosystem does get right, and why a new model of nonprofit news organizations is bridging the information gap between rural and urban communities.

Episode Highlights:

03:25 Challenges in Rural Journalism

10:03 Evolution of Local News

23:42 The Role of Nonprofit News Organizations

More Information:
Tim Marema Bio, https://nationalpress.org/speaker/tim-marema/
The Daily Yonder, https://dailyyonder.com/

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu or share your feedback by completing a quick survey: https://z.umn.edu/9wtp. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

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Ellen talks with Camden Blatchley, a data analyst with the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI). Camden discusses the complexities of defining rural and urban areas in the United States, and describes the differences between the two most commonly used definitions: one developed by the Census Bureau and the other by the Office of Management and Budget. Camden explains how these differing definitions can paint different images of rural America and reinforce narratives about rural and urban areas as a binary, when in reality they are a complex, diverse, interconnected continuum of geographies, people, and economic conditions. Camden also highlights his work on the Rural Aperture Project and the necessity for more accurate storytelling and policymaking that reflect the true state of interdependence of rural and urban areas.

Episode Highlights:

03:51 The Many Definitions of Rural

10:25 Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Rural America

15:42 Economic Realities and Misconceptions of Rural America

18:09 Rural-Urban Connections

More Information:
Camden Blatchly Bio

Center on Rural Innovation, https://ruralinnovation.us/

The Rural Aperture Project, https://ruralinnovation.us/resources/mapping-and-data-analytics/the-rural-aperture-project/

Defining Rural America, The Consequenes of How We Count, https://ruralinnovation.us/blog/defining-rural-america/

Who lives in rural America? How data shapes (and misshapes) conceptions of diversity in rural America, https://ruralinnovation.us/blog/who-lives-in-rural-america-part-i/

Who lives in rural America? The geography of rural race and ethnicity, https://ruralinnovation.us/blog/who-lives-in-rural-america-part-2/

The reclassification of rural counties and what it means for rural America, https://ruralinnovation.us/blog/the-reclassification-of-rural-counties-and-what-it-means-for-rural-america/

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu or share your feedback by completing a quick survey: https://z.umn.edu/9wtp. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

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In the first episode of season 2, Ellen talks with David McCullough III, co-founder and CEO of the American Exchange Project (AEP). David discusses the origins and objectives of AEP, a program that sends high school graduates on week-long exchanges to different parts of the country. The program, inspired by international exchange initiatives after World War II, aims to foster cross-cultural understanding among rural, urban, and suburban students by building personal connections, which are key to overcoming prejudice, ignorance, and othering.

Episode Highlights:

02:54 How the American Exchange Project (AEP) Works: Activities and Experiences

12:11 The Impact of AEP on Students

22:37 The Historical Importance of Exchange Programs

More Information:
https://www.americanexchangeproject.org/

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu or share your feedback by completing a quick survey: https://z.umn.edu/9wtp. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

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In this special bonus episode, Ellen takes a break from working on season two to chat with her siblings, Megan and Keith, about their experiences growing up in rural Montana and North Dakota and their journey to urban spaces. Megan, Ellen, and Keith reminisce about their unique childhood from being the only girl in fifth grade to walking home from school with the cows and loving the wide open lands. They ponder why they all ended up in cities, the stereotypes and misconceptions people have about both rural and urban spaces, and how community building looks very similar no matter where you live.

Little Megan, Ellen, and Keith

Megan, Ellen, and Keith's "backyard" growing up

Megan, Ellen, and Keith's "driveway" growing up

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu or share your feedback by completing a quick survey: https://z.umn.edu/9wtp. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

In the final episode of Side by Side's first season, Ellen talks with photographer John Noltner, founder of ‘A Peace of My Mind,’ a storytelling project that captures personal stories and portraits to foster dialogue across divides. John discusses the human tendency to avoid challenging preconceived notions and how storytelling deepens our understanding of each other and breaks down stereotypes. John reflects on his experiences from Skid Row in Los Angeles to the deep South of Mississippi and border towns in Texas, highlighting the interconnectedness of rural, urban, and suburban spaces and the immense pride that individuals have for their communities.

Episode Highlights:
03:44 John's Background and Origins of "A Peace of My Mind"

07:51 The Impact of Feeling Seen

10:50 Common Ground in Rural and Urban Communities

18:46 The Danger of a Single Story

20:40 Surprising Stories from Mississippi and LA

27:45 Sharing Stories and Creating Impact

More Information:
A Peace of My Mind, https://apeaceofmymind.org/

Stories from New York Mills, MN:

https://apeaceofmymind.org/2023/12/20/belonging-2-0/

Stories from skid row in Los Angeles, CA, https://apeaceofmymind.org/2021/07/06/vincent-turner/

Stories from Oxford, MI, https://apeaceofmymind.org/2023/04/18/duncan-gray/

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu or share your feedback by completing a quick survey: https://z.umn.edu/9wtp. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

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In this episode, Ellen welcomes colleague Brigid Tuck, an economist at the University of Minnesota Extension, who sheds light on a 2011 study demonstrating economic interdependence between rural and urban areas in Minnesota. Conducted in collaboration with Minnesota Rural Partners, the study highlights how economic changes in either region can significantly impact the other, particularly in the agribusiness and manufacturing sectors. Brigid describes how Minnesota's urban areas benefit economically from improved prosperity among its rural neighbors and vice versa. Additionally, the discussion covers the ever-evolving definitions of 'rural and 'urban' that affect research methodologies and policy decisions. Brigid also shares her insights into what people get wrong about rural and urban communities in Minnesota.

Episode Highlights:

05:04 Key Findings from An Economic Rural-Urban Interdependence Study

11:22 Defining Rural and Urban Areas

18:09 Common Misconceptions About Rural and Urban Areas

More Information:
Brigid Tuck Bio, https://experts.umn.edu/en/persons/brigid-a-tuck

Urban vs. rural? More like urban and rural together, study says | UMN Extension, https://extension.umn.edu/vital-connections/urban-vs-rural-more-urban-and-rural-together-study-says

Greater Minnesota and Twin Cities 7-County Metro Area Jobs by Industry, 2024, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wEhyR3CMPD7E91dYdNzj9W_8ky00yL4j/view?usp=drive_link

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu or share your feedback by completing a quick survey-
https://z.umn.edu/9wtp. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

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In this week's episode, Ellen talks with Tony Pipa senior fellow at the Brookings Institution about the significance of rural policy and its outdated approaches. Tony discusses the essential role rural areas play in providing energy, food, and manufacturing for urban centers, emphasizing the need for a cohesive national rural strategy. Tony also highlights the Reimagining Rural Initiative at Brookings, which seeks to modernize rural policy. He underscores the importance of understanding rural-urban interconnectivity in policy-making and shares experiences from international settings where rural-urban ties are better integrated. The episode also explores how regional coalitions and economic projects can foster collaboration between rural and urban areas to ensure sustainable growth and economic vitality.

Episode Highlights:

02:51 Reimagining Rural Policy

05:07 Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Policy

11:59 Building Rural-Urban Connections

25:17 International Perspectives on Rural-Urban Interdependence

31:30 Changing the Narrative: Rural and Urban Interdependence

35:57 Tony's Podcast: Reimagine Rural

More Information:
Tony Pipa Bio, https://www.brookings.edu/people/anthony-f-pipa/
Reimagine Rural Policy Initiative, https://www.brookings.edu/collection/reimagining-rural-policy/
Tony's Reimagine Rural Podcast Series, https://www.brookings.edu/tags/reimagine-rural/

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu or share your feedback by completing a quick survey. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

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In this episode, Ellen talks with Brian Dabson, a rural policy researcher, and one of the few analysts exploring rural-urban interdependence in the United States. Brian explains the significance of rural-urban interdependence as being essential for economic and social development. He shares the limitations of current definitions for rural and urban and the need for refined metrics, research, and policies to truly capture the value of rural spaces, particularly in the face of climate change. Insights about economic development, environmental preservation, and cultural approaches to land use highlight the complex dilemmas of rural-urban policy. Brian also shares insights from international models and suggests that America's policy can learn from such frameworks to address rural-urban connections more effectively.

Episode Highlights:

05:53 What is Rural-Urban Interdependence?

07:52 Alternative Rural Metrics

10:53 Valuing Rural Contributions

23:01 Economic Priorities vs. Environmental Values

25:22 Rural Protection Zones: A Global Perspective

29:04 Challenges in Rural-Urban Research

34:06 Exploring New Regionalism

More Information:
https://www.briandabson.com/about/

Select Articles by Brian Dabson
Regional Solutions for Rural and Urban Challenges

Collaborative Rural Development and Regional Economic Activity

Our Shared Fate, Aspen Institute

Questions, comments, want to get in touch? Email us at sidebyside@umn.edu or share your feedback by completing a quick survey. We share your feedback with funders and stakeholders about the value of this podcast and how you engage with the insights and information.

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