On the world stage, a man recently won the title of "World's Strongest Woman."
In Minnesota, Somalians who have taken over parts of the state are accused of multiple fraudulent schemes that allowed them to steal more than $1 billion in federal taxpayer money.
In Portland, Ore., they no longer say "Christmas tree" and refer to the tree only as "the tree."
And in Hoover, residents are crying out to their government to stop plans for an Islamic school in the center of a corporate office park.
As values and culture slip through the cracks one bad policy decision at a time, there is one group in Alabama watching over the flock: 1819 News.
Five years ago, CEO Bryan Dawson recognized that a primary way to fight back against cultural degradation was media. In 2021, he made his vision a reality, and 1819 News was born.
"Everyone has come to the realization that our society and culture are plummeting but no one really knows what to do about it," said Dawson.
Dawson wanted a news organization that represented the people of Alabama, not its government or corporate leaders. He called it "1819 News" representing the year Alabama became a state.
"Leftist progressives completely own statewide and local news and we offer a statewide alternative news source that actually covers things, covers the news and what's going on from a biblical traditional American worldview," Dawson explained. "What sets us apart is that we have real shoe leather journalists that are out there beating the pavement, pressing the flesh, asking real questions about things that really matter."
Over the past year, 1819 News has zoomed into the education landscape of Alabama. From diving into curriculum that does not reflect the values of the average Alabamian to uncovering radical leftist teachers in K-12 schools and universities, 1819 News has exposed what is happening in the classroom.
The efforts have led to policy change not only at the school level but at the state level.
"Our Attorney General Steve Marshall would give 1819 News credit for School Choice being passed because we went in and exposed the death grip that the Alabama Education Association has had on the Alabama Republican candidates, despite the ALGOP bylaw saying that they're not supposed to take money from the NEA or their state-level affiliates," Dawson said. "We've exposed the poor performance of the public education system as well as the perverts in the public education system and all the things that are going on there."
But it doesn't stop there. 1819 News also offers a podcast interviewing some key figures in Alabama, including U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn), U.S. Rep. Barry Moore (R-Enterprise) and Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth.
"We're highly critical of our state legislature and kind of the performance that they've had, but there's some really good people down there doing really good things," said Dawson. "To bring these people on and give them 45 minutes to an hour to explain what things are actually like at the State House, I think it educates the people in Alabama about what's going on and why it matters and how they can be better informed and can bring about change."
The high-energy, high-quality production always starts with a monologue from Dawson, showcasing culture, politics and Christ.
With a motto "we inform, investigate and celebrate," 1819 News also highlights some of the good, true and beautiful things about Alabama.
"Our state has incredible stories to tell," said Dawson. "Everything from Helen Keller to Bear Bryant and everything in between. We have amazing entrepreneurs, amazing ministries, amazing restaurants, amazing state parks and just all these different things. The overall narrative coming from the national news outlets about Alabama is that we're just a bunch of backwards rednecks and that's just not true. So, we want to spend a decent amount of our time celebrating the things about our state that are worth celebrating so that people can be proud of their place and we believe an informed citizenry that's proud of their place will fight for it."
Dawson explained that 1819 News is not a Christian news organization, but a news organization that operates with a Christian ethos.
"Our ethos is that what God's word says is true and we're going to operate as though it's true," he said.
1819 News is a nonprofit and depends on donations to continue the mission. If you want to rise to the moment of truth and help the team pursue truth without the help of corporations or government agencies, go to 1819News.com to join the fight. With a tax-deductible donation or a monthly subscription, you can help bring balanced reporting to the state, keep Alabamians informed, put the powerful on notice and pursue the good, the true and the beautiful.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
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