# What’s on your bulletin board? | Cory Hepola | TEDxStCloud Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMn3undxf2c Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/cMn3undxf2c Generated: 2026-01-14T18:03:38.902+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Cory Hepola argues that the negative narrative surrounding small towns, often amplified by mainstream media and political polarization, is inaccurate, as rural areas are growing and offer a high quality of life, challenging the speaker's childhood assumption that success required moving to a big city. **Key Points:** - The speaker shares a personal anecdote about his grandmother pinning positive local news stories (e.g., high school team making state) to a bulletin board, contrasting with the negative media narrative. - The speaker notes that from 1970 to 2019, the rural population grew by 11%, contradicting the perception of rural decline. - The speaker identifies three major issues fueling the rural/urban divide: mainstream media narratives, political polarization (two-party system), and the negative framing of small-town life. - He states that the negative stereotypes associated with rural America are often reframed when you realize that talented people are choosing to live in small towns. - The speaker left his childhood dream job as a TV anchor in Minneapolis in 2022 to create a documentary series focused on breaking down these negative stereotypes by showing positive stories from small towns. - He concludes that positive storytelling has the power to change people's perspectives and unite communities, emphasizing that small towns are growing. ![Screenshot at 00:03: The opening slide displays the event branding: TEDxStCloud and the theme ILLUMINATE, alongside a list of sponsors, setting the stage for the presentation.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/cMn3undxf2c/00-00-03.jpg) **Context:** Cory Hepola delivers a TEDx talk focusing on challenging negative stereotypes associated with small towns and rural America, contrasting the widespread perception of decline with statistical reality. He uses a personal story about his grandmother, who actively curated positive local news, to illustrate the contrast between local pride and broader negative media narratives, especially in politics and culture. ## Detailed Analysis Cory Hepola begins by recounting a childhood memory of his grandmother displaying positive local news articles on a bulletin board, like high school sports achievements, which stood in stark contrast to the negative portrayal of rural life he later encountered in his career. He recalls wanting to be a TV news anchor in Minneapolis, a dream he pursued, only to be laid off twice before finally achieving it. He then left that job in 2022 to create a documentary series specifically aimed at breaking down negative stereotypes about small towns and rural lifestyles, which he feels are amplified by mainstream media and political polarization. Hepola cites data showing that the rural population grew by 11% between 1970 and 2019, and this growth rate accelerated since 2020, directly contradicting the narrative of rural doom. He points out that the media often frames the rural/urban divide as an adversarial conflict, pitting the two against each other. He emphasizes that positive storytelling has the power to unite people and change these ingrained perspectives, suggesting that people who choose to live in small towns are often high-quality, talented individuals who could live anywhere. He challenges the audience to update their own mental bulletin boards with these positive realities, noting that his grandmother's efforts to highlight local success were an early form of this necessary storytelling. ### Childhood Memory & Career Pivot - Recalls grandmother's positive bulletin board showcasing local success - Left dream job as a TV anchor in Minneapolis in 2022 - Started a documentary series to counter negative stereotypes about small towns. ### Challenging Stereotypes with Data - Rural population grew by 11% between 1970 and 2019, with faster growth post-2020 - The media narrative is often negative, framing rural vs. urban as an adversarial division. ### The Three Major Issues - Identifies mainstream media, political polarization (two-party system), and negative framing of rural life as key drivers of division. ### The Power of Positive Storytelling - Argues that positive stories have the power to unite people and change perspectives, proving that talented people choose rural life. ### Conclusion and Call to Action - Challenges the audience to update their own mental bulletin boards by focusing on the positive realities of their communities. ![Screenshot at 00:09: Speaker Cory Hepola begins his talk by recalling a story from when he was eight years old and visited his grandmother at the dentist.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/cMn3undxf2c/00-00-09.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:49: Speaker raises two fingers while discussing two key facts about the TV industry, moments before discussing the third point.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/cMn3undxf2c/00-01-49.jpg) ![Screenshot at 03:39: Speaker acknowledges the audience's applause after detailing his career pivot to documentary filmmaking to counter negative stereotypes.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/cMn3undxf2c/00-03-39.jpg) ![Screenshot at 10:24: A photograph surfaces showing the speaker as a young boy with his smiling grandmother, father, and sister, illustrating the personal connection to his story.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/cMn3undxf2c/00-10-24.jpg) ![Screenshot at 13:12: Speaker points upward while challenging the audience to update their mental bulletin boards with positive stories.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/cMn3undxf2c/00-13-12.jpg)