Indiana public media journalists to be laid off after state budget cuts
An email obtained by IndyStar said the IPB News operating service agreement was not renewed, and all roles on the team funded through that agreement are eliminated.
IndyStar was unable to confirm the total number of staff due to lose their jobs and if it expands beyond the reporting team. Executive Director Mark Newman told IndyStar that he could not speak on personnel issues.
The WFYI Media Collective said in a statement that its bargaining-unit members will be negotiating with WFYI leadership to secure severance for those affected.
"This is a huge blow to news in Indiana and to our union, as many of the journalists being laid off have helped to shape both award-winning coverage across the state and our ongoing fight for a fair contract with WFYI," the union's statement reads.
In late April, Indiana's Republican supermajority approved a bare-bones state budget that included a last-minute measure to strip $7.4 million from Indiana Public Broadcasting.
Newman said his organization has proposed strategic changes and reductions in its statewide reporting team as an "immediate consequence of state funding cuts." More details on its plan will be released in the future.
One way IPBS is seeking to be more efficient internally, Newman said, is to streamline its engineering and fundraising efforts to not be duplicative for each station.
"It's a painful exercise to be going through," Newman said. "There is a clear need as a result of the state cutting ... to rethink and rework the way that IPB news operates."
The IPB statewide news team, launched in 2015, reports news that's then broadcast across local stations. Newman said this team is funded as an entity separate from stations.
Laid-off reporters include Brandon Smith, Statehouse bureau chief and host of Indiana Week in Review; Rebecca Thiele, energy and environment reporter; Abigail Ruhman, health reporter; and Timoria Cunningham, labor and employment reporter.
Newman said the goal is for patrons to not notice a change in coverage or quality. He said they will be relying on local stations instead to produce in-depth, statewide news stories.
In addition to the state cuts, President Donald Trump, claiming that National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service have a liberal bias, has sought to end all federal spending on public media.
The current budget plan being considered is focused on just the ramifications of statewide cuts, Newman said, and the consequences could be worse if the federal government pulls support.
Nearly a third of Indiana Public Broadcasting's total budget — about $13 million — comes from state and federal government support, according to a WFYI analysis.
"If that other shoe drops, that's going to have some significant impact," he said. "That's really going to change things even more dramatically. I don't know what that's going to ultimately cause."
Trump's push has most recently culminated in the U.S. House approving legislation in June that would withhold $1.1 billion that was already approved for local public media stations over the next two years.
If the U.S. Senate approves the bill, the loss of funding could force some of the state's 17 public radio and television stations to close.
Republican U.S. Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana has also introduced a bill titled the Defund NPR Act, which would bar federal dollars from supporting "NPR's liberal propaganda." The bill has not moved since it was sent to committee in February.
The USA TODAY Network - Indiana's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners.
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Hamilton Spectator
19 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Iranian mother released from ICE detention after Republican House Majority Leader intervenes
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Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
21 minutes ago
What would it take for Elon Musk to create a new political party in America?
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