Earlier this year I had the pleasure of sitting across from the Thorn City Podcast Guy (aka Na’eem Hall) who was interview me for a recorded episode of his Thorn City Syndicate Spotlight Show.

I was introduced to Na’eem and the rest of the Thorn City team through Mike Green, who has helped guide Oregon News Exploration since it’s inception. The team played a key role in ONE’s research into what sources of local news and information Black residents of greater Portland use, and what they think about the available local sources.

The episode recently dropped and I’m excited to share it! The power of networking is a common theme Nae’em explores with his guests, and his thoughtful questions allowed me to talk about why ONE puts such a priority on building long-term relationships in communities that have historically been underserved or ill-served by mainstream newsrooms typically led by white men.

In the months since our conversation, ONE has crafted new model of community-centered journalism to lift up the voices of those left out of local news. We aim to do that not by publishing the information we think people should have, but by finding out learning what information they want and need — and engaging them in the reporting, productions and dissemination of that news. We also aim to hire people to report on their own communities as trusted insiders, rather than as visiting outsiders.

Our long term vision taps into that favorite theme of Na’eem’s: connection. We aim to build networks of local, trusted journalists, connected to community members who feel more engaged and empowered by solid, powerful, relevant journalism.