For the second year in a row, Todd R. Vogts, Ph.D., recently received scholarly accolades.
On May 2, Vogts was notified that he had won the 2025 ISWNE/Huck Boyd Center research paper competition, which he also won in 2024.
As a result, he will present his paper — ‘IT’S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS’: Future of the rural news centers on community connectedness and local coverage to combat disruptions and adapt to evolutions within the industry — at the 2025 ISWNE Conference in Brookings, South Dakota. The conference takes place July 9-13 on the campus of South Dakota State University.
Additionally, his paper will be published in the Fall issue of Grassroots Editor, the ISWNE’s biannual journal.
“I’m nearly speechless. I can’t believe I won again. I’m incredibly excited and honored to win this competition and be allowed to present my research to journalists from around the globe,” Vogts said.
Vogts’s research investigated how small-town, rural media outlets can continue to be crucial components of their local communities’ news and information ecosystems.
He interviewed 13 weekly, rural news editors from throughout North America. To be included in the study, these journalists had to work for weekly newspapers with small staffs and circulations under 5,000 readers.
Combined, the interviews took more than 17 hours to complete, just a couple of hours less than the 19 hours and 26 minutes it would take to watch all eight of the Harry Potter movies. Individual interviews averaged 81.7 minutes in length and were recorded using video and/or audio recording devices.
The recordings were used to develop transcripts of the interviews that were coded and analyzed. In total, the transcripts amounted to 150,091 words for analysis. This means the combined transcripts are nearly as long as Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, which checks in at 155,960 words.
Interviewing working journalists garnered praise from the reviewers who evaluated submissions to determine if entries upheld scholarly standards and were worthy of winning the competition.
“In today’s world, one-on-one interviews for research purposes is good to see,” one reviewer wrote. “Pleased to see the researcher had spent 30-90 minutes interviewing each subject. Publishers/editors are more likely to connect to research where they feel connectivity to the subjects.”
Another reviewer expressed appreciation for the focus of the study.
“It has value, as community journalism is often overlooked in the turbulent media environment,” they wrote. “This study provides some nice insights into what community news organizations are facing now.”
Other reviewers agreed.
“The issue is important and interesting, i.e., the value of a newspaper to a community,” one wrote. “Newspaper publishers know their communities. This paper delves into the how/why.”
Through his investigation, Vogts found two overarching themes that explained how rural news outlets continue to be crucial components of their local communities’ news and information ecosystems. These include the following: Centering on Community Culture and Remaining Resilient Regardless.
“I truly hope my work helps rural, community journalists continue to survive and thrive. Ideally, by seeing how their peers approach the industry, others can reflect on their practices and mindsets to consider if a change is needed,” Vogts said. “Of course, I was pleased to hear how optimistic my interviewees were. They clearly have a passion for the industry, and they seem ready to do whatever it takes to keep it alive.”
Vogts said he is interested to see how attendees at the conference receive his research.
“I can’t wait to get feedback from those who come to listen to my presentation. Not only will it help me fine-tune my paper before publication, but it will also give me insight into whether I’m doing beneficial work,” he said.
More than anything, though, Vogts expressed gratitude.
“I am so thankful to the ISWNE and the Huck Boyd Center for not only selecting my paper as the winner of this distinguished research competition but also allowing me to present the information at an international conference,” he said. “Also, I am indebted to the rural, community journalists who graciously gave of their time and let me interview them. Outside of my wife’s grace and understanding, this project would not have been possible without them.”
ISWNE is the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. Led by Executive Director Chad Stebbins, the organization’s “purpose is to help those involved in the weekly press to improve standards of editorial writing and news reporting and to encourage strong, independent editorial voices.”
The Huck Boyd National Center for Community Media, housed at Kansas State University, aims “to serve and strengthen the local newspapers, broadcast stations and other media that play a key role in the survival and revitalization of America’s small towns and rural communities.” Sam Mwangi serves as the Huck Boyd Center director.
