A Letter to Flint: Where Flintside Is Headed in 2026

FLINT, Michigan — To the City of Flint and the Flintside community,

I’ve been thinking a lot about why Flintside exists, what responsibility comes with telling stories in a city like Flint, and why I started doing journalism in the first place. The reason is simple: to change the city’s narrative and uplift it through storytelling. Flint has never needed a savior. What it has required is honest commitments and stories told by people who understand this is home.

In 2026, Flintside is recommitting to that idea.

You’ll continue to see us invest in on-the-ground reporting, op-eds, columns, and first-person perspectives. You’ll see us paying attention to the systems that shape life in Flint—education, housing, health, transportation, arts, youth opportunity, and business.

You’ll see us re-engaging with the sports community, from high school gyms to professional teams and community leagues. Sports aren’t only about wins and losses. They provide discipline, mentorship, pride, and sometimes the only sense of stability in a young person’s life.

You’ll also see us continue to deepen our coverage of Flint’s multicultural communities. Flint’s Arab, Latinx, immigrant, international, and multigenerational families have made this city their home, and are not side stories. They are part of the city’s foundation and represent a part of Flint’s future.

We’re also committing to more sustained coverage of Flint’s music and creative ecosystem—the artists recording in basements, performing in small venues, organizing shows, teaching, and keeping Flint’s sound alive. Music journalism allowed me to meet incredible people and gain amazing opportunities. Music has always been one of the city’s lifelines.

Flintside will keep working to ensure our reporting reflects the full range of people who live, contribute, and shape Flint every day.

And yet, the public’s relationship with the media has always been delicate. Across the country—and around the world—trust feels fragile. Newsrooms are shrinking, and journalism, especially local journalism, is caught in the middle of that tension.

Telling the truth can be misconstrued as taking sides. Listening can be mistaken for endorsement. And silence, too, carries consequences. Flint is not immune. I know that honest reporting can be uncomfortable. I know that telling the whole story doesn’t always make everyone happy. And I know that local journalism in cities like Flint is often expected to do more with fewer resources.

Still, in 2026, my commitment—our commitment—is to continue telling the truth carefully, responsibly, and transparently.

That also means being honest about who we are. Flintside doesn’t have unlimited resources. We rely on freelancers, interns, community contributors, and partnerships. We are constantly learning, adjusting, and refining how we do this work. And when we get something wrong, we will correct it openly.

In addition, journalism works best when it’s in conversation with the community. So, I want to extend an invitation. If you have a story idea, a concern, a win worth celebrating, or a perspective you don’t often see reflected—reach out. If you’re an athlete, artist, organizer, student, parent, newcomer, or longtime resident with something to say, reach out.

We’re not here to chase narratives or parachute into stories when it’s convenient. We’re here to document Flint as it is. To celebrate wins without ignoring challenges. To honor the past while making space for what comes next.

In closing, my promise is simple: to stay rooted, stay curious, and stay accountable. To protect space for truth and to keep telling Flint’s stories.

Thank you for reading, trusting, challenging, and growing with us.

Happy New Year, and stay tuned for Flintside’s fantastic coverage.