You know that rare kind of person who makes you feel like an old friend, even if you just met? That’s John Russell.
A self-proclaimed “silliest goose in Wheeling,” John is sharp, warm, and just disarming enough to get anyone talking—which, as it turns out, is the perfect recipe for a good journalist. I originally reached out to learn more about his recent Emmy win, but it quickly became clear I wasn’t just meeting someone who’d had a big moment. I was meeting someone standing at the edge of even bigger ones—someone who’s spent years turning working-class stories into movements, and who’s just getting started making change for himself, his community, and people like him across the country.
From Biofuel to Big Questions
John didn’t grow up thinking he’d be a journalist—or even much of a student, really. But as a teenager in his hometown of Wellsville, Ohio, something shifted.
At just 13 years old, he began building a biodiesel processor using scrap equipment from his family’s farm. What started as a 4-H project—he was a member for 11 years—quickly turned into an obsession. Looking back, he realized those years spent in 4-H and at county fairs had shaped his core values: a deep appreciation for meaningful work rooted in a supportive community. “4-H and county fairs really laid the groundwork for what I value most,” he said, “which is important work happening within a community that’s actively fostering it.”
He worked on the processor for five years, slowly scaling it up. By the time he was 18, the machine could produce 250 gallons of fuel a day.
When he was 16, a company called Baard Energy proposed turning coal into liquid jet fuel in the area. The announcement stirred heated community conversation and a town hall. John, still just a kid, felt pulled into the issue and compelled by a belief that there had to be a better way—one that didn’t rely on coal and genuinely supported working people.
That early collision of personal curiosity and public policy planted something. His work with the biodiesel processor helped earn him admission to Cornell University, where he went on to study Agricultural Science.
But it was the world outside the classroom that really drew him in.
A Political Pivot
While in college, John interned on Capitol Hill with Senator Sherrod Brown and volunteered for Barack Obama’s campaigns in both 2008 and 2012. In between, he worked on the campaign of Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. By 2016, John ran for state representative himself—knocking on over 16,000 doors and raising $50,000 during a high-stakes election year. He didn’t win, but he found something more important: purpose.
In that race, he ran several points ahead of both Hillary Clinton and Ted Strickland in his district—an early sign that his message resonated with working-class voters.
In 2017, he co-founded a local Indivisible group that grew to over 4,000 members and helped bring 1,100 people to a health care town hall. The group mobilized on issues like the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and John saw firsthand the power of grassroots organizing.
In 2018, he “accidentally” ran for Congress in a tough district and kept chasing big questions. Then came a year on the national stage, serving as the Rural Outreach Director for Elizabeth Warren’s 2020 presidential campaign in Iowa. But after years inside the system, John came to a hard realization.
“Our politics just don’t have the capacity to solve the problems we face today,” he said.
Coming Home to Create Something New
So, in 2020, John came home.
After nearly a decade away, he moved back to the Ohio Valley and rented a small apartment in Bridgeport, Ohio, from now-dear friend Dan Milleson, owner of Waterfront Hall. Dan blessed John with cheap rent. John promised to mow the grass, but he never did.
Not long after moving in, John and Dan both picked up bartending shifts at Johnny’s Bar in Bridgeport. Dan moved on to build out Waterfront Hall while John stuck it out for nearly two years.
At the same time, he was building something else. He had returned with a vision: to start The Holler, a newsletter grounded in the stories, struggles, and spirit of working people. Rooted in his Rust Belt Appalachian upbringing, The Holler set out to talk about power—who holds it, how it’s used, and what it means for everyday folks, in clear, direct language. Less about left or right, and more about the real divide between those with power and those without, it became a space for essays, reporting, interviews, and reflections, all told like a conversation across a bar.
It was actually at the bar where things began to snowball. One night, John made a TikTok about a local fire relief fundraiser, and the video went viral. That moment caught the attention of More Perfect Union, a national nonprofit newsroom, who invited him to cover the 2023 East Palestine train derailment—his first major assignment.
That homecoming laid the groundwork for a voice that would travel far beyond the Ohio Valley.
After the East Palestine story, John’s voice kept gaining reach. In 2024, he delivered a primetime speech at the Democratic National Convention—calling for a return to labor roots and class solidarity. In true John fashion, he did it in a pearl snap shirt, bringing working-class pride and Appalachian perspective straight to the national stage.
From Viral to Validated
That story, We Went to East Palestine: What We Saw Will Shock You, was nominated for an Emmy. Since then, John has helped produce more than 25 video projects, often working with a tight-knit core team: Nehemiah Stark, Court Fuller, Josh Hirschfeld-Kroen, Meg Herschlein, and Josh Miller-Lewis.
One of their most impactful stories, a 16-minute documentary on Elliott County, Kentucky’s political shift—won the 2025 Emmy for Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis, tying with CNN’s America First: A Fareed Zakaria Special.
The piece examines how a county that voted for Democrats for 144 years flipped to support Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020, and what that means in the broader context of rural identity, class, and political realignment. John and his team interviewed dozens of locals, attended town meetings, and layered the project with empathy, insight, and historical context. The video has now been viewed over 1.5 million times.
Community and a Chevy Colorado
On the way home from the Emmy win, John’s Chevy Colorado broke down. The A/C had already been out. This time, the truck gave out completely. He had to leave it on the side of the road. So, he did what any community-minded person would do, he called a friend named Dan (a different Dan) to ask if he knew anyone in the area who could help. Within hours, a crew of people had rallied to get him a ride and get the truck off to be repaired.
That’s the kind of thing that matters to John. “Wheeling is a place where people are there when you need them and when you want them,” he said.
It’s why he bought a house in East Wheeling—paid for, in part, by selling his stump grinder.
It’s why he’s choosing to stay.
“This is the perfect place to live on a journalist’s salary, own something, and build a life.”
Still Hollering, Still Here
Today, John continues writing The Holler, co-hosts the Jess and John podcast, and serves on the board at the Wheeling Academy of Law & Science (WALS). He still bartends now and then. You might catch him filling in as a drummer for a local band, singing karaoke at your favorite dive, or speaking at events like the upcoming August symposium on labor history and democracy, where he’s slated to present on union organizing in modern America.
Most recently, John signed on as a contracted contributor with More Perfect Union—a national newsroom that first reached out to him after a viral TikTok. He’ll now be contributing regularly, helping tell the stories of working-class people with empathy, clarity, and serious reach.
Though his reporting often focuses on national movements, John remains deeply involved in the Ohio Valley—engaged, grounded, and part of the very community that raised him. He’s not just from here—he’s still here.
He says he’s proud that the Emmy-winning piece focused on Appalachia.
“People around here have been written off. We’ve seen things taken from us over and over again. But we’re still here.”
I knew as soon as I heard John’s story that he needed to be featured—not just because of the Emmy or the viral videos, but because he’s the guy in the pearl snap shirt at the 2024 DNC, the one walking through the Public Market in cutoff jorts, the one who somehow manages to be everywhere, talking to everyone. Wheeling needed to know more about him… and honestly, so did I.
John has built a life in Wheeling—bought a home here, built a network of friends, and is having a good time while doing it all. Like most things around here, we clap for each other and are genuinely proud of our neighbors.
So let this be our holler back to John—from me, from Wheeling, from all of us who’ve watched him do the work and lift others up along the way.
Go John, go!
Want to meet John or hear more? Here’s your chance:
TOMORROW — Thursday, July 10 | 6:00–7:15 p.m.
Ohio County Public Library
John Russell’s Emmy-Winning Doc Screening & Community Q&A
Join the conversation about the shifting political landscape playing out in Appalachian hometowns like ours. We’ll screen John’s Emmy-winning short doc and talk with him about how local stories connect to national movements — and what it all means for working people. Presented in partnership with the WALS Foundation, the Ohio County Public Library, and you, our community. Stick around afterwards or head straight over to the Wheeling Symphony’s flood relief benefit concert.
Saturday, August 30 | 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Ohio County Public Library
Reuther-Pollack Labor History Symposium IX
John will be presenting a talk titled “Union Organizing and Democracy” as part of this all-day labor history symposium hosted by the WALS Foundation, Reuther-Pollack Labor History, and Lunch With Books. The event includes lectures, a walking tour, lunch, and a lineup of incredible speakers. It’s free and open to the public — and packed with powerful stories, both past and present.
Catch additional information and follow along on his linktree.
