Sumter Item adds Kareem Wilson to newsroom team

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The Sumter Item is glad to welcome a new member to its newsroom.

Kareem Wilson joins The Item as a multimedia reporter and the newsroom's audience development manager. Hailing most recently from the Georgetown Times, Wilson will bring his expertise in storytelling to help the newsroom expand its reach and capabilities into communities whose voices need to be heard.

The Georgetown native describes himself as a genuine Southern man, a visual thinker and storyteller who is always looking to find new and creative ways to bring local news to underserved communities.

"Journalism is an incredible experience because it has given me the ability to listen to people's stories," he said. "A good reporter must listen to a person's voice to understand that person's heart. I am looking forward to going out in the community, exploring our counties, taking photos and hunting down new stories to share with you. This is only the beginning, and I am genuinely excited for what's to come."

He will also work with the rest of the newsroom to further evolve its strategic plan for identifying communities that are underrepresented in our headlines across print, digital and audio platforms and building trust throughout Sumter, Clarendon and Lee counties as the region's largest source of local news.

"We're really, really excited to have Kareem on board, and I'd certainly ask our readers to welcome him as well," Publisher Vince Johnson said. "At a time when many communities similar to Sumter are losing their local news source altogether, we're committed to being a voice for all citizens across our region. We have a talented, dedicated staff, and this new position will only make our coverage more valuable to our subscribers, advertisers and community partners."

After graduating from Winthrop University in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in theater and mass communications, Wilson covered topics ranging from health and the pandemic to community and education at Georgetown Times. While in college, he gained experience as a writer for The Roddey McMillan Record and as a reporter at The Charlotte Post.

Through those experiences, he said he has learned the importance of information and the power of people's stories to bring change in their community.

Wilson can be contacted via email at kareem@theitem.com or by phone at (803) 774-1227.