Oral History Films
Margo Reed is a multimedia storyteller who got her start at The Philadelphia Inquirer. In 2018, she started producing oral history videos as part of a historical documentation of Oley Valley, which is the first Pennsylvania township in its entirety in protected by the National Record of Historic Places. Margo takes particular interest in oral history documentaries and stories about older adults, but also works by commission on documentary and commercial videos.
See more on Youtube.
Our Lost Creek
The first European settlers called the bowl-shaped valley "Oley" after the Lenni Lenape name for the region, "Olink," meaning kettle or hole. English Quakers, French Huguenots, and especially German immigrants were attracted to the valley's fertile farmland, abundant springs and flowing streams. These fertile fields and water sources still provide for family farms 300 years later. One of those family farms, "R Lost Creek Dairy Farm", has been run by the Schlegel family since 1935.
After the creek dried up in the 1970s, the farm was part of a pioneering effort to put Oley township on the National Register of Historic places, which protects it from development that would further change the landscape of the valley.
Produced, Filmed, Edited by: Margo Reed
Historical research and text: Tom Stokes and Kelly Spatz
"Oh, how lucky we were,"
Gloria Beard, says as she recounts fall evenings spent at Denver High School football games. She wasn't there to watch football, though. Instead, she sat proudly admiring her daughters in the marching band, much like she saw her husband play the baritone in his family's polka band.
Gloria discusses her life and Pennsylvania Dutch legacy in her small hometown in honor of her 80th birthday.
Meet the Runyans
22-year-old, Bella Runyan, is not who you'd expect to see as the leading story in oral history film, but her family's legacy is nothing short of newsworthy.
Runyan, a point guard at Villanova University, is the daughter of former Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle, Jon Runyan. Sports runs in the family.
Watch this piece, produced about the Bunyan's for the Philadelphia Inquirer, to learn more about the legacy Jon, and now his daughter, Bella, has left on Philadelphia sports.
Produced, filmed, edited by: Margo Reed
Lead Producer: Astrid Rodrigues
Managing Editors: Danese Kenon, Mike Huang
What the future would hold
In 1979, a group of recently-graduated journalism students embarked in an inaugural Dow Jones News Fund residency that aimed to help diversify newsrooms. The program invited nine students with diverse, minority backgrounds to Bethlehem Pennsylvania, where they took journalism classes from leaders in the industry before heading off to their internships for the summer, and then to their fruitful careers.
All of the students in the group went on to work in journalism. They did anything from editing to reporting to masthead-level positions at some of the largest newsrooms in the country.
In 2023, the group reunited in person for the first time in 44 years, this time alongside another pioneering group-- the Dow Jones News Fund inaugural group of audience engagement interns. Together, the group grew together from recounting past experiences, and discussions about the future of newsrooms in America.
Finding the Cadence
Music students knew Stacy and Adam French as "mom and dad" long before they were actually parents. After six trying years, Grayson County's "orchestra couple" finds a rhythm with kids in school and at home.
Produced, filmed, edited by: Margo Reed
Editing instruction: Tim McLaughlin
