TOWNSEND, Mont. — A cross-country move is giving one journalist the opportunity to tell stories from small towns across America.
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Alex Frick, a freelance newspaper reporter from Port Townsend, Washington, is spending the next six weeks traveling to 30 small towns on his move to Florida as part of a personal reporting project called Next Town Over. His goal is to document what life is really like outside America's larger cities and highlight the stories he believes are often overlooked.
Townsend marked the fifth stop on his journey.
Before arriving, Frick reached out to local Facebook community groups seeking story ideas and introductions. The posts generated dozens of responses, connecting him with residents eager to share what makes their community unique.
One of those residents was Bryl Newman, who has lived in the Toston area for 72 years. Newman said she welcomed the opportunity to have another journalist tell local stories and showcase the community.
"I think it's good," Newman said. "It's gonna promote business and tourism and preserve our little town."
Frick said projects like Next Town Over are driven by his belief that rural communities deserve more attention in the media landscape.
"These are the stories that have to be told most," Frick said.
At the same time, he acknowledges the limitations of being an outsider spending only a short time in a place.
"In one day it's really hard to capture an entire essence of a town," Frick said. "I think it would be irresponsible to try. Just give them a slice of it."
Rather than attempting to fully define a community, Frick said his reporting is intended to complement the work already being done by local journalists who cover these towns every day.
He said collaborating with local news outlets helps provide a more complete picture of the people, challenges and successes that shape rural communities.
"We can lean on each other and tell a more complete story in that respect," Frick said.
Whether it's a reporter passing through for a day or one covering a community for years, Frick said the mission remains the same: making sure people feel heard and that their stories matter.
Frick expects to complete the six-week journey by Christmas, continuing to stop in rural towns across the country before reaching his new home in Florida.
