Poynter launches Indianapolis Public Editor pilot to critique local coverage and answer audience questions across outlets

A market-wide experiment in newsroom accountability

A pilot initiative to create an Indianapolis-based public editor role is being launched with the goal of strengthening accountability and public understanding of how local journalism works. The position is designed to evaluate news coverage across the Indianapolis media market, respond to audience questions, and publish independent analysis intended to explain editorial decision-making and address concerns about fairness, accuracy and transparency.

The project is structured to operate across multiple organizations rather than inside a single newsroom. That distinction is central to the pilot’s purpose: to test whether an external, market-wide public editor can help residents navigate a fragmented local news ecosystem and provide a consistent mechanism for feedback and critique that reaches beyond any one outlet.

How the public editor is expected to work

The public editor is expected to live in Indianapolis and bring professional journalism experience. The role is described as a bridge between news consumers and the region’s newsrooms, with an emphasis on making journalistic processes more legible to the public. The editor’s work is expected to include reviewing how local outlets understand community needs, examining coverage choices, and explaining why stories are framed, sourced, headlined or prioritized in particular ways.

While the public editor will collaborate with participating newsrooms, the role is defined as accountable to the audience rather than to any single organization. Planned work also includes public-facing events intended to create direct exchanges among residents, the public editor and journalists.

Participating partners and publication plan

At launch, partner newsrooms identified for publishing the public editor’s work include WFYI public radio, Mirror Indy and the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Columns and analyses are expected to appear on those sites, but the scope of review is not limited to partner outlets; the editor is expected to assess coverage across the broader Indianapolis market. Additional local newsrooms have been identified as potential future participants.

• Publication: columns hosted by partner news sites
• Scope: review and analysis of coverage across the Indianapolis news ecosystem
• Engagement: audience questions and planned community events

Funding, leadership and timeline

The pilot is being led by Kelly McBride, a senior executive at a national journalism nonprofit and chair of its ethics-focused center. McBride has also served as NPR’s public editor since April 2020 through an external partnership arrangement. The Indianapolis pilot has identified grant support from the Lumina Foundation and the Hearst Foundations.

The project’s announced hiring target was to select the Indianapolis public editor and begin work before the end of 2025. The longer-term continuation of the role is expected to depend on whether the pilot demonstrates measurable value in public education, responsiveness and trust-building outcomes.

The pilot’s core premise is that a public editor operating across outlets can standardize accountability expectations and help residents better understand how local news decisions are made.