A Different Kind of Publication About the South

Salvation South will look at the South with new eyes. Founded by Chuck and Stacy Reece, Salvation South will celebrate the South we love and build a community of people where civil conversations can happen.

Chuck was the founding editor-in-chief of The Bitter Southerner, which aimed to debunk stereotypes about our region. But that was eight years ago, and we live in a very different world. Stereotypes are the least of our problems today. 

Our region’s deepest problem is division. We’ve forgotten how to laugh with each other. Salvation South will never stoke the fires of division. Instead, it will be a place where people of good will can talk, where writers and photographers and filmmakers can bring us food for thought that we can talk about together.

What We Need … and Why

We need your financial support, because we intend to bring some of the South’s greatest writers, photographers and filmmakers together to start conversations with an audience of Southerners who want to do two things:

• Celebrate the unique Southern culture that unifies us all. Salvation South will be a never-ending house party exploring all parts of our culture.
• Explore some of our current divisions in the hope that we can begin having civil conversations, perhaps not always agreeing with each other, but walking away as friends.

We’ve already assembled a group of almost 100 writers, photographers, illustrators, and filmmakers who will contribute. Chuck will serve as their editor. His wife Stacy, a longtime entrepreneur, launched Down South House & Home, a Southern home goods business, from a tiny red barn in our backyard. Her job is to bring Salvation South’s audience high-quality home goods that will celebrate all the good things about the South.  

What Your Support Will Bring You

To put it very simply, you’ll get an online magazine that publishes one to three stories every week about the South we love. You’ll also get the chance to be part of a community of like-minded people who have high hopes for our region. 

Those of you who followed The Bitter Southerner from the beginning know that Chuck has a unique ability to gather stories that get folks talking and to facilitate their conversations. Like we said, Salvation South will feel like walking into a house party filled with folks you like — and maybe even love. 

If we meet our campaign goal of $100,000, we can bring in marvelous stories, great photo essays, and short films that contribute to this Southern discussion. And if you help us surpass that goal, you will allow us to expand into more video and audio programming. Many of you loved the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast Chuck hosted for the BS. With more money, we can bring that back to you (except we’ll call it the Salvation South Podcast this time).

And finally, the more money you contribute at the beginning, the faster we can pay our contributors more and hire more team members to build our community.

Many Rivers to Cross

It’s hard to start a publication like Salvation South. Believe us: We’ve got the experience (and the scars) to prove it. But the good news is that we have done this before. We see Salvation South becoming a sustainable business this way.

• First, we rely on your contributions to this very campaign to get the wheels rolling.
• Second, we begin creating and selling high-quality Southern home goods and apparel to bring in ongoing income.
• And third, once this kickoff campaign is finished, we will offer those who were late to the party the chance to become members of Salvation South. (They just won’t get the fabulous premium items that only first-timers like you will get.)

If you contribute to this campaign, you’re automatically a member, entitled to ongoing discounts in the Salvation South Store and invitations to special events — in person and via Zoom — that will entertain and enlighten you.  

A Little More Help?

After you contribute — or if you can’t afford to contribute right now — you can still help us make Salvation South a reality.

Ask your friends and folks you know through social media to get the word out and make some noise about our campaign. You’ll find various Indiegogo share tools on this very page to help you do that.