How do rural communities handle the shrinking availability of local news coverage? How do these communities combat addiction? How can we help veterans adjust to civilian life after service? Season two of VPM’s docuseries Life in the Heart Land (LITHL) uncovers how rural communities are creating unique solutions to their toughest challenges.
“We learned a lot in the first season of the show about how resilient these rural communities are and why that’s important,” said VPM executive producer Mason Mills. “We want the series to offer hope and connection to other communities facing similar challenges, and we’re excited to share more stories that will hopefully spark inspiration to alleviate some of these problems.”
The first episode of the new season spotlights an issue that affects every corner of the country but has hit rural communities particularly hard. Many rural communities are seeing little to no local news coverage reported by people they know and trust, and 20% of community newspapers have gone out of business since 2005, which often results in less civic engagement. The episode also shows how some small local newspapers have managed to survive.
Later episodes will explore how rural communities are helping elderly citizens avoid the risk of isolation, depression or abuse at nursing homes; the balance of cultivating healthy forests and using trees for timber; and how farmers today rely on migrant labor from Mexico and Central America.
Looking for a behind-the-scenes experience from the show? On Oct. 17, VPM will host a LITHL event at The Wayne Theater in Waynesboro, Va that will include live music performances from local artists who wrote the opening music for LITHL, panel discussions featuring community partners who provide resources and programs addressing the episode topics and more. To register for the event and to learn more, click here.
Season two of LITHL premieres on VPM PBS Monday, Oct. 7 at 9 p.m. You can stream all six episodes from the entire second season on the PBS App. Throughout the airing of the second season, LITHL will publish a series of articles highlighting some of the topics covered in the new episodes of the show. To learn more, visit vpm.org/heartland.
LITHL is a docuseries from VPM and Deep Structure Productions that dives deep into the heart of Virginia to meet the neighbors, communities and organizations that are addressing long-standing obstacles head-on and serving as an example for other rural locations. These collaborators are breaking down divides and roadblocks to build new pathways to meaningful, positive outcomes with the power to inspire better understanding and action.
