Twice a week for over thirty years, The Storm Lake Times publishes a paper featuring local news and unapologetically honest editorials on a shoestring budget for an audience of just 3,000 readers. Led by its Pulitzer-prize winning editor-in-chief Art Cullen, his brother and publisher John, and a scrappy crew of journalists who are faithful and devoted to their small Iowan rural community, The Times is an undeniable institution in the diverse town of Storm Lake, and its reputation captivates everyone from local teenagers to presidential candidates. The Storm Lake Times, however, is at risk of extinction. Massive agricultural corporate interests draw away capital and people from the community, weakening the demand for paid content. People have also turned away from local print media and towards free social media and ad-driven news sources, which are rarely verified and often misleading or even dangerous to their audience. STORM LAKE is a documentary that honors the legacy of honest, unadulterated, relevant, and dauntless journalism in a time where facts are under assault and courage is scarce.
