But the midwestern town was depicted somewhat differently. It was an “inheritor of values of a mythological founding generation” and a “battleground for the characteristics and actualization of those values,” with the result that it “became the center of a conflict about the future of the country itself.”

The Silicon Prairie is more than a geographic rebranding or rebuke of unfettered global capitalism – it is an ideological project that fuses conservative nostalgia with techno-libertarian ambition. By elevating the figure of the homegrown entrepreneur and minimizing the role of the state, its vision champions private innovation while disregarding... See more

While Americans in polls report historically low levels of trust in the media, it could be in large part because much of the press hasn’t been speaking to the concerns of their everyday lives. It would mean incorporating the knowledge and skills of reporters like Heather Bryant, who grew up in rural Missouri, where her lower-income family would buy... See more