New state newsroom launches

Nonprofit news organization Free Press Indiana launched a statewide newsroom on Wednesday.

Free Press Indiana News is a five-person newsroom, led by veteran editor Lindsey Erdody. It will publish content daily — via its website and social platforms and also deliver a weekly newsletter, The Lens, each Saturday morning.

Free Press Indiana was created in 2023 to facilitate investments in journalism outlets around the state, especially those in underserved communities. It has created Mirror Indy, which focuses on local Indianapolis news, and funds Capital B Gary in northwest Indiana.

FPI News will prioritize partnerships with an expanding network of trusted media outlets to support their efforts and meet readers where they are, a news release said. This approach allows the reach and relevance of journalism to extend across the state.

“Our mission has always been to ensure Hoosiers everywhere have access to news and information that improves their quality of life,” said Bro Krift, Free Press Indiana CEO. “We are proud that the work of this newsroom will help to strengthen the overall news ecosystem in Indiana.”

Prior to launch, the FPI News staff have published explainers on social media and articles on Substack about relevant issues like local backlash from surging electricity costs and the impact of the state’s gas tax holiday.

“FPI News is focused on the stories that matter to Hoosiers,” said Erdody. “The role of this work is not to tell people what to think but to make sure they have something real to think about.”

She also had this to say in a Wednesday morning email: “You likely won’t see our team at the Indiana Statehouse because what’s signed in Indianapolis doesn’t stay in Indianapolis. The policies decided there have consequences in all our local communities, and our team will talk to real Hoosiers all over the state to hear about what’s important to them. We will amplify those voices, those stories.”

There are currently three reporters. Laura Lane covers rural communities and Dylan Peers McCoy and Carson Gerber are civic accountability reporters. Author Ashley Ford was hired in September as the Women and Girls reporter for Free Press Indiana and Mirror Indy. But she has since left and the position was reposted last month.

Free Press Indiana content is free to republish under certain guidelines.