Madeline Barron, host of the investigative podcast *In the Dark*, shares how her team shifted focus from the Curtis Flowers case to a new season covering the coronavirus pandemic in the Mississippi Delta. After receiving personal stories from residents—such as doctors, nurses, prisoners, and athletes—Barron and her team began remote interviews to capture real, emotional responses to the crisis. These narratives go beyond statistics, highlighting fear, resilience, and everyday coping, like a musician writing a song or a family facing exposure. The podcast emphasizes how communities adapted in unexpected ways, with stories of social tension, personal loss, and determination to stay safe and hopeful. The first episode, *Coronavirus in the Delta*, launches on April 30th, with weekly updates featuring fresh personal accounts from the region. By centering lived experiences, the season offers a deeply human perspective on the pandemic, showing how people in the Delta navigated uncertainty, isolation, and resilience during one of the most challenging times in recent history.
This is Madeline Barron.
Most of the time, I'm the host and lead reporter
of an investigative podcast called In the Dark.
Our last season was about the case of Curtis Flowers,
a man in Mississippi who was on death row.
His conviction got overturned after our reporting came out.
For the first time in 23 years,
Curtis Flowers will be out of prison.
I'm so excited right now.
Our team was hard at work on a third season of In the Dark
about a completely different story,
when the coronavirus hit the United States
and everything changed.
I've stayed in touch with the people I met
when I was living in Mississippi,
and I started getting texts and calls,
not about Curtis Flowers, but about the virus.
When I looked at the news coverage that's out there
about the coronavirus,
I didn't see the kinds of stories I was hearing
from the people who are calling me.
Stories not just about numbers and supplies and death,
but stories about people trying to deal
with a really hard situation,
in all kinds of unexpected ways.
And so, for the past two months,
the In the Dark team has been reporting
on what's been happening in the Mississippi Delta
as the coronavirus spread.
Of course, we can't go there right now.
So we've been talking to people on the phone instead.
All right, I am recording.
Hi, this is Natalie.
Hi, this is Parker.
Hi, this is Madeline Barron calling from Minnesota.
We've been talking to doctors.
Well, we're surviving.
And nurses.
You know, you take things to heart.
And people in prison.
It's out of control.
You know, let them do whatever they want to do.
And football players and musicians
and lots of other people, too.
My husband's words to me were,
you need to sit down.
He says, we found out today we've been exposed.
We had 20 police cars on the church property
trying to tell us we can't have service.
If y'all don't wake up, America,
our freedom can be revoked.
How are you doing?
Oh, I'm scared to death.
I'm not going to leave you alive, Ms. Parker.
I'm scared to death.
So you've written a song,
like, in the last week?
You bet your little bimpy I have.
Roll the vibe, bro.
You're sneaking off my back stairs.
Roll the vibe, bro.
I'm telling y'all right now,
we're going to play football.
You guys are trying to graduate on time.
It's critical right now that you stay on top of this.
I get what you're saying,
but it's like, given the pandemic,
I mean, like, he could die in there.
What if that happens?
Judge?
And now, we want to bring those stories to you.
The first episode of
In the Dark, Coronavirus in the Delta
will be out on Thursday, April 30th.
You can listen to it by going to
In the Dark, wherever you listen to podcasts.
We'll have a new episode out each week.
A new story from the Mississippi Delta.
Well, I just lay still,
and I take deep breaths in and deep breaths out.
And I take deep breaths in and deep breaths out.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Madeline Barron is the host and lead reporter of the investigative podcast *In the Dark*, which previously covered the wrongful conviction of Curtis Flowers, leading to his release after 23 years.
Following the pandemic, Barron began receiving personal stories from people in Mississippi about the coronavirus, highlighting human experiences beyond official news coverage.
The podcast’s third season focuses on the impact of the pandemic in the Mississippi Delta, featuring intimate, real-life narratives from doctors, nurses, prisoners, athletes, and musicians.
The team conducted remote interviews due to travel restrictions, relying on phone conversations to capture authentic community responses.
Stories emphasize resilience, fear, and adaptation—such as a football player writing a song to keep morale up or a family facing exposure concerns.
The first episode, *Coronavirus in the Delta*, releases on April 30th, with weekly new episodes sharing different personal perspectives.
The reporting aims to humanize the pandemic by spotlighting emotional, everyday struggles and coping mechanisms.
Listeners are encouraged to tune in to experience the human side of the crisis through community voices.
Summary:
Madeline Barron, host of the investigative podcast *In the Dark*, shares how her team shifted focus from the Curtis Flowers case to a new season covering the coronavirus pandemic in the Mississippi Delta. After receiving personal stories from residents—such as doctors, nurses, prisoners, and athletes—Barron and her team began remote interviews to capture real, emotional responses to the crisis. These narratives go beyond statistics, highlighting fear, resilience, and everyday coping, like a musician writing a song or a family facing exposure.
The podcast emphasizes how communities adapted in unexpected ways, with stories of social tension, personal loss, and determination to stay safe and hopeful. The first episode, *Coronavirus in the Delta*, launches on April 30th, with weekly updates featuring fresh personal accounts from the region. By centering lived experiences, the season offers a deeply human perspective on the pandemic, showing how people in the Delta navigated uncertainty, isolation, and resilience during one of the most challenging times in recent history.
FAQs
In the Dark is an investigative podcast hosted by Madeline Barron, focusing on in-depth reporting on important social and legal issues.
The last season of In the Dark focused on Curtis Flowers, a man in Mississippi who was on death row, and whose conviction was later overturned due to the podcast's reporting.
Yes, for the first time in 23 years, Curtis Flowers will be out of prison after his conviction was overturned.
The podcast is now reporting on the impact of the coronavirus in the Mississippi Delta, highlighting personal stories from affected communities.
The team is conducting phone interviews with people in the Mississippi Delta, as travel is not possible due to the pandemic.
The first episode of 'In the Dark: Coronavirus in the Delta' will release on Thursday, April 30th.
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