I recently wrote about a new nonprofit news operation being organized named Mirror Indy. I cited a piece posted on the local Indy Axios operation by former IndyStar columnist James Briggs about the number of Star writers and editors jumping ship to Mirror Indy.
Since I wrote that piece, Ryan Martin, a former Star reporter that won a Pulitzer Prize for an investigation that examined K-9 units and the damage inflicted by police dogs, left the Star for news startup State Affairs. Martin recently announced on social media he, too, will be joining Mirror Indy.
One of my readers posted a question when it was revealed the news nonprofit has $10 million. Just who are the donors?
An Indianapolis Star story from February of this year listed a few of the major donors:
- Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust
- Myrta Pulliam
- Herbert Simon Family Foundation
- Lumina Foundation
- The Robert R. and Gayle T. Meyer Family Fund
- Joyce Foundation
- Indianapolis Foundation, an affiliate of the Central Indiana Community Foundation
There are more details about the nonprofit’s donors on their Web site at this link.
The nonprofit’s board of directors includes some prominent local names, such as Publisher of the Indianapolis Recorder Carolene Mays…former Gannett executive Karen Ferguson Fuson…Mark Miles of the Penske Corporation and Myrta Pulliam, part of the family that sold the Star to Gannett in 2000.
One last thought. The IndyStar is supposed to have a partnership agreement with Mirror Indy. I would love to be a fly on the wall when the two entities have their first meeting, after Mirror Indy has raided the Star’s journalists.
Thanks for the information. Interesting development in the options for news in Indianapolis. Time will tell if this is a good thing or not but options are good! I do hope that the Star can survive in this environment.
Hopefully this will be a balanced offering rather than the leftist blowhorn the star became after the gannett purchase. At least to balance you Larry.
Thanks for the update.
Interesting that the first two foundations were form primarily by selling papers to Gannett.
Secondly, as operating as a not-for -profit they lower the costs by 20 or so percent.