The AJC debuts YouTube original series ‘Curiosities of the South’

The South is more than a place. It’s often where America’s next chapter begins.

The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution’s new original YouTube series, “Curiosities of the South,” takes viewers into unexpected corners of the South to explore the stories shaping the region and beyond.

Through on‑the‑ground reporting, visual explainers and deep dives, the AJC’s “Curiosities of the South” goes beyond headlines to uncover the cultural shifts people miss, the communities too often overlooked and the unanswered questions shaping the South and the nation. Rooted in the AJC’s tradition of vivid storytelling and investigative reporting, the video series follows stories in motion, on the ground as they unfold.

Upcoming episodes will take viewers inside Atlanta’s growing surveillance network, examining how the city became one of the most surveilled in the country and how new technologies that are being developed here are expanding monitoring in ways that may challenge ideas about privacy. Another episode will reexamine Southern identity itself, questioning whether the history we think we know is rooted in fact or shaped by myths and stories passed down over generations. The video series also draws on AJC investigations into the future of industrial towns, exploring how once-booming communities are being reshaped by automation, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies and what those shifts can teach us about the risks and rewards of betting on the next big industry.

From cultural reckonings and economic transformation to power dynamics and technology’s reach, the AJC’s “Curiosities of the South” explores the region not as a footnote but as a signal of what’s coming next.