Haak-Frost: Why you should join Watershed Voice at the movies this Saturday

Many kids know exactly what they want to be when they grow up but it changes, a lot. I first knew I wanted to be a journalist in the fourth grade and later became one, due in no small part to a movie I saw called All the President’s Men (1976).

I was in high school and my teacher Peter Karoly, a former journalist himself, showed us the movie and changed my life forever. Karoly — charismatic, eccentric, and chock-full of intellectual vigor — dazzled us with his commentary about the film, explaining all of the little details students born in the late 1980s had little or no knowledge about.

It was in that classroom that I discovered that journalism, when done right, can change lives, right wrongs, and hold the most powerful people, even the president of the United States of America, accountable. We at Watershed Voice operate on a much smaller scale than the Washington Post, with a much smaller staff, and a significantly smaller budget.

But throughout the almost seven years we’ve existed, Watershed has written many impactful stories. In 2022, we published an investigation into accusations of spiritual and sexual abuse concerning a local church, and another story about how making mental health services more accessible to students combats care fragmentation, garnering two national awards in the process. In 2023, we earned another award nomination for a piece on the benefits and drawbacks of teletherapy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

More recently, we examined what affordable housing in St. Joseph County actually looks like, the link between a pipeline project and water quality issues in White Pigeon, the impact of ICE raids in the county, and months long coverage of contention between Sturgis City Commissioners stemming from accusations of wrongdoing that ultimately led to an independent investigation.

The work we do matters, and the service we provide to the community free of charge has immense value. That’s why this Saturday, November 14 at 7 p.m. you should make your way to downtown Three Rivers and the Riviera Theatre to watch another great film about the power of journalism.

Join us for a showing of the Oscar-winning 2015 film Spotlight, the true story of a team of investigative journalists who uncover decades-long sexual abuse taking place in the Catholic Church in Boston in the early 2000s. 

This event kicks off Watershed Voice‘s annual year-end fundraising campaign, in which every dollar donated is doubled by NewsMatch, an organization supporting independent newsrooms across the country.

Tickets start at $15 (Bronze level) and may be purchased on EventBrite or at the door. Purchase at the Silver, Gold, or Platinum level for even greater impact. All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Watershed Voice.

Alek Haak-Frost is the executive editor and founder of Watershed Voice.