Have We Made A Difference? Daily Update May 28, 2026

Have We Made A Difference?

Daily Update - May 28, 2026

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Episode summary:

Have we actually made a difference here in Coastal Carolina? In this 100th episode of the Wilmington Standard Daily Update, Reuel looks back at how a single column grew into a growing conservative media platform for our region. From adding voices like Sam Ibraham, Jonathan Bridges, Trevor Blackwell, Paul Stam, and now Johnston Smith, to partnering with The Center Square and the Franklin News Foundation, the goal has always been clear: bring conservative, common‑sense commentary back to the public square. Reuel walks through the podcasts, writers, and partnerships you’ve helped make possible—and why your shares, support, and advertising dollars matter more than ever.

What you’ll learn / Key moments

00:00 – Marking the 100th Daily Update and asking, “Have we made a difference?”
00:23 – How the Wilmington Standard grew from one column to a team of conservative voices.
00:52 – New partnerships with The Center Square and the Franklin News Foundation to bring relevant North Carolina news.
01:45 – Expanding podcasts like Three Guys, the Reagan‑Faulkner Show, and the Wilmington Standard Podcast to reach new generations.
02:06 – Why your likes, shares, advertising support, and monthly giving are crucial to keeping local conservative media alive.

What you can do

If you believe Coastal Carolina needs a strong, conservative voice, this is where you come in. Start by liking, subscribing to, and sharing our columns and podcasts—the more you engage, the more the algorithms push our content in front of new listeners and readers. If you own a small business, consider advertising with the Wilmington Standard to reach a growing, engaged local audience that actually cares about this community. And if you value having an independent conservative outlet that doesn’t hide content behind paywalls, please consider becoming a monthly supporter through Patreon or by shopping our store—every bit of support helps us stand in the gap where traditional media has walked away.

Have we made a difference?

This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Thursday, May 28, 2026

Welcome to the 100^th episode of the Daily Update. Instead of commenting on the news of the day – although it is big news to us – we want to know – have we made an impact here in Coastal Carolina to bring conservative and common sense opinions to the forefront of discussions?

The Wilmington Standard started over a year and a half ago with just one column. In that time, we have added people like Sam Ibraham and his unique views on immigration and patriotism, Jonathan Bridges who is at the forefront of today’s political discussions here in North Carolina and Washington, DC, Trevor Blackwell who talks about conservation from a young conservative viewpoint, Paul Stam who has served our state as Speaker Pro-Tem, and today we are introducing Johnston Smith writing from a Generation Alpha point of view. Additionally, we have partnered with The Center Square and the Franklin News Foundation to bring you the latest in news that is highly relevant to our state.

Our podcasts include The 3 Guys Podcast – an ongoing experiment in discussion among 3 different men from 3 different generations and 3 different worldviews. The Reagan Faulkner Show – showcasing the latest in conservative thought from Generation Z. The Wilmington Standard Podcast has brought you politicians and other influencers, and of course The Daily Update with our take on current issues.

There is more to do of course. We want to bring on more writers who will discuss current and cultural issues from conservative viewpoint. We want to be the publishing platform for more conservative podcasts to take advantage of the new media. We want The Wilmington Standard to be the place where our elected leaders go to publish their opinions. In short, we want to stand in the gap where the traditional media has failed to bring you common sense news and viewpoints.

We want to make a difference. But we need your help.

First, the best thing – the biggest thing - you can do is to like, subscribe, and share our columns and podcasts. It is an internet thing – because the algorithms and search engines will bump us up in their rankings if they see an increase in interest in what we do. We believe we have great conservative content – and stand behind our writers and podcasters – please do share them with your friends and neighbors.

And second, we need financial support. We have no gated content – there is no subscription fee to get access to our materials. But, if you are a small business owner looking to get the word out about your business – please consider advertising with us. Or consider becoming a monthly supporter through our Patreon – or shopping our store. Every little bit helps – and is hugely appreciated and highly needed.

So have we made an impact? We hope so.

For the Wilmington Standard’s 100^th Episode, I’m Reuel Sample. As always, thanks for listening.

Reuel Sample is the Editor-in-Chief of The Wilmington Standard. A graduate of Grove City College and Princeton Theological Seminary, he has served as both a Presbyterian Pastor and a Navy Chaplain. He is the product of a classical liberal arts education combined with real world experience in politics and business and conservative Christian worldview firmly rooted in the Reformed tradition. He is the host of several podcasts including the NHC GOP Podcast, the Pastor's Voice, and co-hosts the Nikki and Reuel Podcast Experience. An avid sailor, he has sailed around the world as a youth and to the Azores as a teen as well as extensive trips up and down the east coast of the United States. He is honored to be married to his wife Pam and makes his home in Wilmington, NC.