‘A Beacon of Hope’: Mississippi Free Press Wins Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership in First Poynter Prizes 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kimberly Griffin 

Publisher, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer 

kimberly@mississippifreepress.org 

Mississippi, USA, 2024-Jun-16 — /EPR Network/ — The Mississippi Free Press is pleased to announce that it was honored in April with the inaugural Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership prize. The Poynter Institute presented the award in an online announcement for the first Poynter Prizes. The Poynter Institute, based in St. Petersburg, Fla., is a global nonprofit that strengthens democracy by improving journalism’s relevance, ethical practice and value.

“There are so many nonprofit newsrooms that have launched and do not take into account diversity and how to build trust in communities that have felt ignored. The Mississippi Free Press built its newsroom with the community and its diversity in mind. They are a beacon of hope in our industry and a true example to follow for other news organizations,” The Poynter Institute said in its April 23, 2024, Poynter Prize announcement. 

The Mississippi Free Press meets vital information needs across the state and bridges coverage gaps in urban, suburban and rural areas. Central to this commitment is ensuring that equity and inclusion are fundamental principles guiding both our content creation and the composition of our newsroom. The MFP cultivates a media environment and trains a diverse pipeline of team members that authentically represent our audience’s diverse viewpoints and life experiences by prioritizing these values. Our journalists and writers actively engage with Mississippians across 82 counties through initiatives like our solutions circles convened across the state, amplifying and learning from underrepresented Mississippians’ voices and perspectives.

“We’re so excited about winning this award,” Kimberly Griffin, co-founder and publisher, said. “We believe that a free and open press helps protect democracy, and core to that mission is media that reflect the communities they serve. We’ve intentionally created a newsroom that looks like Mississippi, which is why we’re Mississippi’s most inclusive newsroom. Over the next few months, we’ll add more team members from more communities around Mississippi.” 

Griffin added that an inclusive newsroom and coverage helped grow their inclusive donor base. “Our coverage invites people to join our community at whatever level they are comfortable with,” she said.” “It’s not my job to decide if someone can or can’t give. That’s paternalistic. Our readers know if they can contribute $5 or $5,000. That’s how we’ve built an inclusive donor base that reflects the communities we serve and backs our journalism and newsroom.” 

The collective backing of local and national readers and national philanthropic support promotes staff retention and helps combat Mississippi’s brain drain. The Mississippi Free Press has 17 employees, several active contractors, is advertising for two new positions and expects to add a new Mississippi-born reporter by summer. Illan Ireland, a Spanish-speaking Report for America corps member who’ll cover the environment, will join us this summer as well.

“Diversity and inclusion focusing on the historic and current reasons for inequities across Mississippi is part of the Free Press’ DNA, dating back to 2002 when we started the for-profit Jackson Free Press, electing to cover and distribute to all ZIP codes in the capital city, much of which was a news desert,” said Editor, CEO and co-founder Donna Ladd. “We rejected the stereotypical tendencies of Mississippi journalism to focus only on the negative in under-served communities and started building trust with journalism that didn’t shy away from problems and corruption, but also celebrates the joy and brilliance of the people of Mississippi.”

Ladd said the MFP is proud to be a trailblazer and a beacon, as Poynter put it. “We were focusing on ‘diversity’ and DEI before it was popular in U.S. media outlets. That doesn’t just mean surface diversity, which never lasts. It means seeking out, hiring and training people who understand our communities and can teach the entire newsroom what we don’t know. And it means reporting truth about our entire state that journalism has long shied away from or even covered up intentionally. That is the only way a newsroom can really serve all people and help facilitate long-term, substantive change and solutions.”

Individual donors can give to the 501(c)(3) Mississippi Free Press at mfp.ms/donate. Story tips go to tips@mississippifreepress.org. Media outlets or community organizations interested in observing or partnering in solutions circles can write solutions@mississippifreepress.org.