Sadly, most of the general public knows the town of Flint for its portrayal in the Michael Moore film “Roger and Me” as a town that was gutted and left when the auto industry withdrew, or for the catastrophic water crisis that continues to plague the area. IMG plugged into an existing coalition in Flint, and was able to quickly gather 15 coalition leaders to launch Flintside in 2017 as a way to tell the city’s underreported stories. Massive reductions at the Flint Journal meant that IMG could employ journalists with 25+ years of experience in the community, and highly-regarded local editor and journalist Marjorie Raymer stepped into the Managing Editor role. Using embedded journalism projects, Flintside began covering one neighborhood per year, and is now in its fifth neighborhood.
Flintside’s current managing editor, Tia Scott, Flintside says she sees the positive impact the publication has on her hometown. “We've highlighted so many Flint people, businesses, and organizations, and given numerous Flint residents a platform to express their ideals and solutions for the city they love,” says Scott. “There are so many stories that may not have been told without the presence of this publication, and with that, I am proud to witness its growth.”
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