IowaWatch experienced an increase in republication of stories, pickup by the Public News Service, was interviewed on Iowa Public Radio, and had a slight September bump in donations after this series first started. We also chose to pursue the topic more.

IowaWatch [September 2021]: A series of IowaWatch stories on how rural communities survive and thrive received the most reader engagement that Suzanne Behnke, the organization’s editor, said she’s ever experienced in her two years at the publication. One example: “How a handful of Iowa towns thrive, rise above rural decline.”