R U R A L O K L A H O M A
THE TEAM & THE PROJECT
This website is a multifaceted, multimedia project that reports over rural Oklahoma. With the expansion of larger metropolitan areas in Oklahoma, our reporters chose to focus on rural towns in an attempt to define issues that rural Oklahoma faces in regards to culture, economics and politics. Primary questions that drove the reporting of these stories were "What keeps people in rural Oklahoma?" and "How do these small towns survive?". For the towns that have vanished, "What was the tipping point?" and "What remains of these places?". This is rural Oklahoma.
the creators.
Avery Fulton
"It was particularly powerful to see the culture of these small-town communities and how they band together."
Caitlin Thomas
"Rural Oklahoma struggles to survive without tax revenue or businesses in town, but instead of giving up, these small towns are finding new ways to grow. That's beautiful."
Dani Dallabattista
"Getting the chance to learn the stories of Oklahoma's rural towns has been an experience I'll never forget. They deserve to have their stories told."
Danielle Geritten
"It was rewarding to spend a semester covering rural towns in Oklahoma; many people have no idea the towns we did stories over even exist, so it was a great experience to get to share those and see how much pride the people in those towns possess."
Jared Rotha
"So rarely do small towns have their perspectives and issues talked about, and never in detail. I think this project is really important to show where and how a large percentage of Oklahomans live and the problems they face every day as well as the rewards achieved because of it."
Kayla Dunn
"The majority of news we see derives from and revolves around Oklahoma's urban sprawls, but instead focusing on rural populations offered incredible insights to the fabric of the state."
Mackenzie Kifer
"Growing up in a small town I found making this website quite eye-opening. I knew small towns were close-knit from my past experience. Seeing these people stick together like a family of sorts was truly wonderful."
Samuel Page
"It's amazing to see how these small towns are surviving compared to large cities."
Taryn Johnson
"After running around Oklahoma, I've learned that the citizens in these towns are so tight knit. They deserve a spotlight."
Wade Haugen
"It was rewarding to cover rural Oklahoma. We met many great people along the way and visited numerous interesting towns. No matter the size, every town has a story."
Kailee Jaques
"Those within the rural Oklahoma community welcomed me with open arms and some amazing stories to tell. Speaking their truth was an experience I'll never forget."
Seth Fish
"Rural Oklahoma was an integral part of my upbringing. It is nice being able to cover communities that are often looked over and unappreciated."