Appen Listening Tour visits Forsyth County

The newsroom at Appen Media set up shop at Cherry Street Brewing in Vickery Village April 18 to learn more about what’s on the minds of Forsyth County residents.

The event at the buzzing microbrewery and restaurant was the fourth stop on the newsroom’s “Listening Tour,” a seven-month series visiting each hub in Appen Media’s coverage areas.

All stops are open to the public and free to attend.

Publisher Hans Appen began the session with a round of trivia about the history of the county. Attendees were surprised to learn that Forsyth County sports the highest income per capita in the state.

Residents said they think the statistic is misleading, with wealth concentrated in the southern portions of the county and many low-income families in need of essentials.

The hour-long event also touched on where residents get their community news and whether neighborhood social media pages provide reliable information.

One resident said the hyperlocal social network, Nextdoor, often includes comments that are mean-spirited and unreliable, but it’s where she finds out what’s going on.

Managing Editor Pat Fox joined staff reporters Amber Perry and Hayden Sumlin in a discussion about media literacy and the process of finding leads, sources and verified information for stories.

The newsroom discussed its use of the Georgia Open Records act, on-the-ground reporting and a thorough editorial process. Fox included an anecdote about using a trade journal to uncover information about a county-funded project. It was information the county, itself, had not posted online or discussed in public.

Residents also said they wanted to see more arts and entertainment coverage of Metro Atlanta and Forsyth County.