Indiana News Service: New Programming Fills Gaps in Rural Areas

Indiana radio stations and online media will have free access to high quality, public interest news with today's launch of an early morning, state-level newscast - Indiana News Now! - plus additional updates throughout the day. The new program from Public News Service, a national network of news producers, is part of a larger effort in Indiana (and beyond) to bolster independent reporting at a time of alarming declines in state and local media coverage.

The Indiana enterprise is spearheaded by two veteran journalists from the Hoosier State with decades of experience in radio, television and print journalism, Terri Dee and Joey Graham.

"Our goal is that Indiana News Now! will leave you better informed and connected to what happens in your community," said Terri Dee, the co-leader of the Indiana News Service, launched in 2011 by Public News Service.

This coverage is offered at no cost to Indiana radio stations and online media through the Indiana Local News Initiative. The Initiative, organized by the American Journalism Project, and announced last month, is dedicated to expanding the local news ecosystem to ensure everyone in Indiana has access to the news they need.

"I take my role as a storyteller quite seriously, especially when it involves my home state of Indiana," said INS co-leader Joey Graham. "I believe the most important component in successfully sharing any story is listening."

Indiana News Service is part of Public News Service (PNS), a national network of news producers working in more than three dozen states. PNS founder Lark Corbeil got her start in television at what became Thomson Reuters, and she's no novice at innovation.

"It's a tough time for both the public to get trustworthy information, and for the news industry as it reinvents itself," Corbeil said. "The growing pains can be quite painful. State-level reporting is one of the gaps we seek to fill, helping to make more quality content and often marginalized voices easily accessible to outlets, particularly those hard hit in rural areas."

Funding from Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation allows Indiana News Service to expand its news coverage - already free of charge - and partner with other outlets to increase the availability of public-interest broadcast news, and to help partners' content reach more diverse audiences across Indiana and beyond.

Indiana News Service is unique, in that it exists primarily to serve other newsrooms, not compete for audience share. Current Indiana Local News Initiative partners include Capital B, launching a newsroom in Gary; The Statehouse File, powered by Franklin College students; The Indianapolis Recorder and The Indiana Citizen. The initiative also will create a new Central Indiana newsroom.

Indiana News Now! and other multi-format Indiana News Service stories are available for media outlets to download and air at newsservice.org. A brief message from Terri Dee and Joey Graham and a short video on how to access newscasts is here. The public may access online versions at indiananewsnow.org.

More on Indiana News Now! Hosts:

Terri Dee has worn many hats in her nearly 30-year career in radio, television, and print, most recently as local news anchor for "All Things Considered" on NPR member-station WFYI-FM in Indianapolis. Before that, Dee worked as a news reporter and anchor for Emmis Communications, and filled a wide variety of roles, both technical and editorial, including reporting, hosting and managing the newsroom for Urban One ("The Chat Room" and "Community Connection.")

Joey Graham has more than 35 years experience working in Indiana newsrooms. He started his first job at age 16 in Logansport, at his hometown radio station. He loved broadcasting so much he eventually joined the team full-time. Graham worked his way from being a young, local news reporter to News Director. For several years, Graham anchored Indy's Morning News at legendary news-talk radio station WIBC in Indianapolis, where he also hosted a weekend talk show.

###

Indiana News Service is a bureau of Public News Service, the national newswire for Public Interest News. PNS stories and newscasts are heard on thousands of local radio stations, seen on local TV, and read in newspapers and online through a network of 38 state newswires. A certified Benefit Corporation and proud to be the Trust Project's first news service member, PNS seeks to amplify underrepresented voices in media, tell the stories of people working for social change, and reach audiences that have historically lacked access to quality public interest reporting.


get more stories like this via email

New polling found an overwhelming majority, 85% of Americans believe abortion access should be allowed in some situations.

Two years ago in the weeks following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, West Virginia passed a near-total ban on abortion with exceptions in certain cases for rape or incest, or medical emergencies.

Emily Womeldorff, constituency engagement specialist for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Morgantown, said it is now nearly impossible for people in West Virginia to access abortion care. Most are now forced to travel to neighboring states.

"That can look like a lot of things," Womeldorff pointed out. "It can look like having to take additional time off of work, finding child care, assuming that you have transportation, paying for that."

More people are traveling farther and across multiple state lines to access abortion, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute. The group's U.S. Abortion Provision Dashboard said since the Roe v. Wade decision, more than 800 West Virginians have traveled to Maryland for abortion care, more than 600 to Pennsylvania, and more than 200 to Ohio.

Womeldorff noted while she believes the people of West Virginia would make the decision to protect abortion rights, the state is among more than two dozen to have banned citizen-led initiatives or amendments on a statewide ballot, despite calls for a petition allowing voters to decide whether full abortion access should be legal. Womeldorff explained under current law, the legislature would have to pass a ballot measure.

"Unfortunately, we have a very hostile anti-abortion legislature at the moment, who would I highly doubt be willing to vote to put it on the ballot and let people decide," Womeldorff asserted. "Because they have a vested interest in not letting people make those decisions for themselves."

Voters in a handful of states, including neighboring Kentucky and Ohio, have chosen to protect the right to an abortion through ballot measures.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


get more stories like this via email

Former president Donald Trump is vowing to eliminate or alter thousands of government jobs if he wins this November, which could have a big effect on Virginia.

One major change would be gutting civil service protections, which aim to keep millions of federal employees performing day-to-day jobs away from political influence.

Donald Sherman, chief council for the advocacy group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said it is important for the government to function for all people.

"You can understand why you want to have government food inspectors or government highway technicians who have, not just years, but decades of expertise," Sherman pointed out. "And, you know, have loyalty to their craft as opposed to loyalty to a particular politician."

A plan for the Trump Administration put together by a right-wing think tank, called Project 2025, calls to reclassify tens of thousands of employees as political appointees. Labor groups are worried it could dismantle nonpartisan bureaucracy by cutting jobs, taking away union rights, lowering pay and privatizing some federal departments. Trump said it is exactly what he has to do to "drain the swamp" and restore America's trust in government.

Virginia has more than 140,000 federal employees. Only California has a higher number. Sherman emphasized civil service protections also protect Americans from corruption.

"You want to make sure that if you are a person in need of assistance from the Department of Justice or the Department of Housing and Urban Development that you know there's not someone on the line asking you, 'Well, before I offer you assistance, what's your political party?'" Sherman noted.

Vice President Kamala Harris has advocated for unions in the public sector. She has also looked to improve hiring practices, salaries and health care benefits for government workers.


get more stories like this via email

Election Day is a little more than two months away and North Dakotans turned off by the political environment are urged to consider their long-term health as possible motivation to re-engage with the voting process.

Over the past few years, organizations such as the American Medical Association have emphasized voting is a social determinant of health.

Craig Burns, clinical assistant professor of social work at the University of North Dakota, specializes in social work and said it is especially true for marginalized populations. For example, he said a candidate's stance on local zoning laws and key services might resonate with a person's need to establish a better quality of life.

"Whether people have access to an affordable grocery store that sells healthy produce or whether they have access to safe transportation," Burns outlined.

Combined with more commonly discussed issues such as jobs, Burns pointed out all the factors play a role in shaping health outcomes. He added if people feel like their voice doesn't matter, they should know local races, including legislative seats, are sometimes decided by just a few votes.

For those who need guidance in researching candidate platforms, Burns noted websites such as Vote411.org often provide a comprehensive, nonpartisan breakdown of where a politician stands on key issues. He added reaching out to the campaign staff for answers is another option.

"Always let the candidate know you're a voter in their district," Burns recommended. "That'll, kind of, perk up their ears a little bit."

Burns, who has helped lead regional civic engagement efforts in past elections, argued how a candidate views environmental regulations is another topic worth exploring. He pointed to the tainted water scandal in Flint, Michigan, from a decade ago as an example. Researchers said the crisis stemmed from state and federal policy failures.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


get more stories like this via email