A Concord University Communication Arts instructor has received special recognition for her work.
Jessica Lilly is the newly named host and is the managing producer of “Inside Appalachia,” a show produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting. “Inside Appalachia” is a weekly show that covers issues and stories that matter to the Appalachian region. Roxy Todd has recently been named producer of the show.
The podcast is available to a worldwide audience and was recognized as one of the top three podcasts during the week of Jan. 5-11 by The Timbre. The site regularly reviews and critiques podcasts.
This episode marked the one year anniversary of the Elk River Chemical spill that left 300,000 West Virginians without access to safe water in 2014.
The Timbre writer Devon Taylor went on to write an entire post entitled “Why we need podcasts like Inside Appalachia.” Taylor writes that the podcast is important because it helps to give a deeper understanding of West Virginians and Appalachians past the sometimes harsh and shallow statistics.
“I don’t know what it’s like to be from West Virginia,” Taylor wrote. “I might have it all wrong. Short of moving there, I may never know. But for an hour every week I can suspend whatever judgments I have and look past the empty statistics about poverty and methamphetamines and try to get a sense of what it means to live there. Thanks to Lilly and the good team at West Virginia Public Radio, it’s never an exercise in pity or guilt, but instead a privilege.”
The article recognizes Lilly as a “talented” host. “When I read the article, I teared up and thought ‘she gets it,’” Lilly said. “The article is pretty accurate of what the goals are for ‘Inside Appalachia.’ It’s very rewarding to see the show, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and Concord University get this positive attention.”
To read the entire post visit http://thetimbre.com/
Lilly is Southern West Virginia Bureau Chief for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. She is a 2007 graduate of Concord.
