”Storm Lake” with Beth Levison

Top Docs: Award-Winning Documentary Filmmakers

Ask Google what Storm Lake, Iowa is famous for and you’ll learn that it’s the fourth largest glacier lake in the state and is considered the region’s best for walleye fishing. But this seemingly ordinary town of 11,000 in northwest Iowa is also the home of the Pulitzer Prize-winning biweekly The Storm Lake Times, edited by the incomparable Art Cullen. In Jerry Risius and Beth Levison’s beguiling documentary “Storm Lake,” we meet Art and the rest of the Cullen clan, who, together, are fighting the good fight for the continued survival of small, independent journalism in this country.

Beth joins Mike and Ken for a delightful conversation about her thoroughly enjoyable ride of a film. We ask about topics big and small, including the future of journalism, what it’s like when the presidential primary circus comes to town, how Andrew Bird came to lend his musical chops to the film, and even what really goes on above the Better Day Cafe (hint: son Tom Cullen lived there). The podcast is free, even if the paper costs a dollar (but well worth it). You won’t want to miss our conversation or the documentary, which premieres on PBS’ Independent Lens on November 15th.

Follow Beth on twitter @Beth_Levison

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Also mentioned: Art Cullen’s Book, Storm Lake.