Reporting with impact: 2022 mid-year report

by Mary Margaret White, Mississippi Today
August 11, 2022

A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that while legacy papers have continued to cut full-time capitol reporters, nonprofit newsrooms have increased their number of devoted political investigators from 92 in 2014 to 353 in 2022, now representing 20% of the total statehouse press nationally. At Mississippi Today, we are honored to be part of this community of nonprofits championing statehouse coverage to ensure government accountability. 

Our role in maintaining democracy is critical. Mississippi is one of 16 states where the number of full-time statehouse reporters has suffered a 23.5% decrease since 2014. The consequences of this loss put access to the coverage Mississippians deserve at risk, and profoundly impact our state’s democratic processes and outcomes. This is, in part, why Mississippi Today launched our flagship nonprofit newsroom six years ago. We proudly serve as a government watchdog for Mississippi and demand accountability from all of our leaders. Today, our Capitol Team makes up at least one-third of the full-time statehouse investigators in Mississippi.

Devotion to this coverage fuels our team’s ability to go above and beyond traditional news sources, ensuring no stone is left unturned when we report to you. Our vigilance and earnestness ensures that our readers are always informed about the critical issues that influence their lives, but, we are not alone in this effort. While the work of our journalists is imperative, it is our collective impact that continues to be truly transformational. Your support strengthens our ability to deliver free, nonpartisan news to all Mississippians. Thank you for enabling us to help fill the void in Mississippi with news you can depend on from a team you can trust.

Please take a moment to check out our 2022 mid-year impact report. I am incredibly inspired and encouraged by the work of our team over the course of this very newsy year, and I believe you will be, too.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.