Our Mississippi Home is the GOOD news of Mississippi. Positive stories are published all day, every day, and reach millions of viewers monthly. The goal is to spotlight Mississippi’s incredible people and vibrant culture while raising awareness of all the Magnolia State offers.
The origin of Our MS Home began in 2017, and it was initially JAXCOHOME, a community-based website that focused on Jackson County, MS, specifically. Pascagoula native Jamey Foster, the owner and publisher of Our Mississippi Home, was brought in to help with the project between an ad agency in Ocean Springs and Chevron. JAXCOHOME debuted at the Pascagoula Free Flowing event and immediately became a recognizable source for local community news in Jackson County.
Initially a local initiative, Foster saw an opportunity to expand its reach. With Chevron’s support and colleagues’ encouragement, it transitioned into a statewide platform. This expansion allowed it to become the storyteller for Mississippi, not just the coast, and to include every Mississippian in its narrative.
“I remember specifically that Keesler AFB was doing an air show and needed help promoting. Since so many retired veterans live in Jackson County, it would be relevant to help promote it outside of Jackson County. This became a gateway to looking at what other communities were doing. Smaller communities have no real way of getting news out other than traditional press releases and relying on TV or newspaper, which doesn’t cover everything.”
Our MS Home was not just an idea and a rebrand; it was a collective effort to be inclusive and welcoming to all Mississippians. It’s fitting that its name was born during a conversation with fellow Mississippians, a testament to our community’s shared vision and unity.
‘The name ‘Our Mississippi Home’ was not a solo creation but a collaborative effort that involved many voices, including that of a colleague named Michelle Harbison,” Foster said. “Over coffee, we brainstormed what could work to be inclusive for every Mississippian. Chevron and I discussed increasing the website’s footprint and what it could mean for potential companies and organizations. Chevron was our flagship supporter, and their understanding of the vision was crucial. This collaborative spirit is what brought us to where we are today.’
From 2017 to 2018, Our Mississippi Home gained momentum thanks to the support of small user bases statewide. By hiring original content writers and building a team with former Mississippi Press writers, it was able to give a voice to small-town Mississippi, showcasing their stories and experiences to a broader audience.
Our Mississippi Home’s content director, Meredith Biesinger, joined the team during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, there was an opportunity to pivot and create engaging and authentic content that was positive and uplifting to others while also educating others about the Magnolia State. A syndicated author and educator by trade, Biesinger is dedicated to showcasing the Magnolia State.
“I’ve often thought of Mississippi as the student in the class with all the potential in the world, waiting to be fully recognized and tapped into,” she shared. “That’s one of the reasons I became so driven to spotlight all of the positive things Mississippi has to offer; I just wanted others to see what I see.”
Driven by the ability to do good while utilizing multiple platforms, Jamey Foster owns and operates a digital marketing agency called Digital Coast Media (DCM). Our MS Home was built off the backbone of his knowledge in content and marketing. Our Mississippi Home has birthed and helped publicize many non-profits and community organizations as platforms to share and receive news. Additionally, 228 Sports is another publication inspired by Our Mississippi Home, which covers high school sports in the lower six counties of Mississippi. DCM has also worked in the faith-based film genre as one of the key companies that help bring these uplifting movies to market.
Photo credit: Our MS Home
“I have always been a dreamer,” Foster shared. “It took me a while to realize that I was built to serve people through storytelling. It is not just news storytelling but presenting someone’s story as it is to inspire others.”
Foster was originally a nursing major at the University of Southern Mississippi and decided to pursue his true passion: filmmaking, media, public relations, and service.
“My company, DCM, gives me a lot of each world and still allows me to be creative,” he said.
Foster and his good friend Forrest Proctor spotlight Mississippians through beautiful documentaries on the Our Mississippi Home YouTube channel. They always look for human interest stories and real-life people with unintended hero stories.
“Mississippi’s greatest asset is and has always been our people,” Foster said. “This state has more stories than most places in the world. Mississippi has seen the ups and downs of generations and movements and the rise of athletes and entertainers. We have some of the best food you will ever eat and the nicest people you will ever meet. There is a reason we are called the Hospitality State. So many of the hills and valleys have led to a lot of negative press. Our Mississippi Home wants to help control that narrative. We want to help build economic movements, shed light on negative press, and be a source of news that is not politics or murders. We aim to uplift people through stories and showcase the amazing place we know our state to be.”
Our Mississippi Home is not just a publication but a beacon of hope, a service that spreads positivity, kindness, and awareness. It is a platform that aims to inspire and uplift, making our audience feel hopeful and optimistic about the future of Mississippi.
