Robert Neithart, Asst. News Editor— Divisiveness is an enemy with which many of us have grown accustomed to over the past few years. In seemingly every facet of global and national media, politics, and our daily lives, people point fingers, concerned more so with assigning blame than gaining understanding. 

For journalist and Denison professor Doug Swift, the process of creating “10,000 ACRES” was a purposeful endeavor; one undertaken with the intent of telling the full stories of those involved, not just the surface-level deductions with which we’ve grown so familiar. 

Premiering this past Tuesday to a full house in Slayter auditorium, “10,000 ACRES” is an interactive documentary that seeks to tell the story of the land now home to The Wilds, the largest wildlife conservation center in the continental U.S., located in Cumberland, OH. 

Swift explained his introduction to the subject that he’d known of the people and efforts going on at The Wilds, saying that he’d been interested in covering the story for a long time. He stated, “[it was] a matter of me growing into the skills to be able to tell the story the way it needed to be told.”

Bearing a storied past, The Wilds was once home to indigenous Americas, a mixed-race settlement in the American antebellum, a farming community, and the world’s largest dragline which was used extensively for coal strip mining to fuel the growing need for electricity in post-WWII America. 

Considering how he would approach the story of The Wilds, Swift realized early on that a traditional documentary would be insufficient in telling the story, missing out on much of the nuance so integral to the subject’s rich history.

A largely foreign concept to Swift, the idea of covering the story in the form of an interactive documentary was proposed by Ashton Marra, executive editor of 100 Days in Appalachia, which is a non-profit newsroom for Appalachia Free Press. 

Over a period of two years, Swift began to piece together the history of The Wilds, learning the stories of the many farmers, coal miners, and inhabitants who had a direct connection with the land in one way or another. 

Swift explained his mission in creating this documentary, saying that he wished to tell the complete, nuanced stories of all those involved in the land’s history, explaining that he did not wish to add a political filter to the piece.

“Ultimately, the project is challenging everybody… lifting up the voices in our communities that are often overlooked, that are deeper and more complex than what you hear in the news.”

Swift explained his approach to journalism and understanding, saying that when we simply ask people what they think, “[we’re] lead to the shallowest part of our beings… [but] if you ask people to tell their story, you get into more complexity of what it is to be human, and it’s just a richer place to be.”

Though Swift sought to create a story devoid of political polarization, he did express that he wished for the piece to create dialogue around land use and the state of the environment in general.

Pete Lyon ‘25, an Environmental Studies major, explained the obstacles in creating spaces like The Wilds, saying, “not everywhere can we have 8,000 [to] 9,000 acres of that land, so having that as an option… will be a great way to think about the next generation.” Citing environmental education as the key to achieving progress, saying, “The more engaged… you become… you can understand the issue in a far greater way.”

Though the subjects of land use and environmental ethics introduced by Swift are undeniably important, perhaps a more salient takeaway from “10,000 ACRES” is the value that lies in a full picture. Make an effort and ask others for their stories; you might just learn something.