Editor’s Note: Free Press Indiana, which is Mirror Indy’s support organization, has launched a statewide newsroom called Free Press Indiana News. From time to time, you’ll see us at Mirror Indy sharing stories from around the state produced by FPI News. To learn more about their mission, here’s a column from their Editor in Chief Lindsey Erdody.
Welcome to what I hope becomes one of your most trusted news sources in Indiana. Welcome to Free Press Indiana News, or FPI News, for short.
It is a privilege to start and lead this newsroom, and I’m grateful to be here announcing our official launch after months of work.
Our mission is to provide Hoosiers everywhere with trusted, solutions-focused journalism through original reporting and strong media partnerships. We envision an Indiana where Hoosiers are more informed and connected, empowering them to shape our state’s future.
Talking about FPI News to some people in Bloomington at a recent community event underscored why we’re here. One person talked about how difficult it is to find trustworthy news; another asked if we’d be unbiased because, in her opinion, many news outlets are not; another told me about how her local newspaper rarely has relevant information in it anymore.
Nearly everyone told me they’re glad we’re here. I’m glad we are, too.
Too often, the stories that matter on important issues like healthcare, utilities and housing go underreported, unreported or buried by the noise. 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.
Our job is not to tell you what to think but to make sure you have something real to think about. We want you to understand both what happened and what changed because of it.
As a nonprofit newsroom, our obligation is to the truth and to the Hoosiers who rely on it. Our work is free for you to consume and share. You’ll find news here on our website, plus on Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky, Threads and Substack. We also send a newsletter every Saturday morning that features work from our reporters along with highlights from other media outlets. You can subscribe to it here. And we’re working on launching a weekly newsletter focused on rural news. You can sign up for it now so you don’t miss a single issue.
Today, we published stories detailing how Hoosiers are struggling with high electric bills, how an influx of federal funding for rural hospitals might not be enough to help them and how a small town in southern Indiana is trying to get a grocery store after losing its only one over a year ago.
You’ll also find features on a Hoosier who is determined to attend all 92 county fairs and a free outdoor sculpture museum in Greene County. And don’t miss our explainers on how the gas tax works and what’s causing electric bills to increase lately.
We have a statewide focus, which is different than Mirror Indy, the first newsroom under Free Press Indiana that reports on issues that matter to Indianapolis residents. You’ll see content from both newsrooms on both of our websites, though. That’s because Indianapolis stories can be, and often are, relevant for a statewide audience and vice versa. Both newsrooms, while separate, work together and are supported by nonprofit Free Press Indiana.
We also will republish stories from other nonprofit outlets, which is why you’ll see content from Indiana Capital Chronicle and Chalkbeat Indiana on our site already. Some of the stories were published months ago but still remain relevant or helpful today, which is why we included them.
In addition to our platforms, you may find us in local media outlets across the state because our content is available for other newsrooms to republish on their websites and in their broadcasts and newspapers. The Terre Haute Tribune Star, for example, has used several of our stories already. So has WNDU in South Bend. If you’re interested in republishing us, you can find more information here.
Thanks for visiting our site. I hope you found something intriguing, something you didn’t know before or something you were excited to share with family or friends. As you engage with our website and our social media accounts, please tell us what you like — and what you don’t. What do you want to see more of? Less of? If you send me an email, I promise I’ll respond.
FPI News, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations. Sign up for our free newsletter.
Lindsey Erdody is editor-in-chief of FPI News. You can reach her at lindsey.erdody@fpinews.org or 765-203-1933.
