FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



PITTSFORD, NY, August 2 — GateHouse Media, LLC and the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting are excited to embark on a new partnership through the creation of an agriculture data journalism fellowship funded by GateHouse.

The agricultural data reporter will be embedded in the newsroom of the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and will focus on in-depth agribusiness investigative reporting. This fellowship will provide resources needed for the Midwest Center to more aggressively report on agribusiness and its impact on rural communities. The fellowship will also provide GateHouse with priority access to this reporting and to the Midwest Center’s robust archives and databases — enhancing the coverage of GateHouse newsrooms across the country. This strategic partnership will further empower GateHouse newsrooms, particularly in the Midwest and West, by providing additional highly focused and unique resources and content, as the newsrooms continue to develop products and services that target rural audiences.



The partnership follows GateHouse’s June announcement of the company’s investment in a national investigative and data-driven reporting team.



“This partnership further illustrates GateHouse’s commitment to enterprising journalism,” said Kirk Davis, GateHouse Media CEO. “It’s critical coverage that will bolster existing teams in newsrooms across GateHouse, and provide valuable reporting that our colleagues throughout the industry can build from.”



Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting Engagement Reporter Claire Hettinger, left, speaks with sources at an event on Friday, July 12. photo by Darrell Hoemann/The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

The fellowship strengthens the partnership between the two news organizations, as newsrooms such as the Peoria Journal Star and Austin American-Statesman have previously used content shared by the Midwest Center.



“The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting has an established record of high-impact journalism,” said Bill Church, GateHouse senior vice president of news. “Investigations that result from this fellowship will break new ground, reveal untold stories and help reshape the conversation on the business of agriculture in America and beyond.”



As part of the hiring process for the fellowship, the GateHouse investigations team will work with the Midwest Center to evaluate qualified candidates.



“We’re thrilled to have GateHouse’s generous support, and for the opportunity to explore data and document-driven stories on a whole new level,” said Pamela Dempsey, Midwest Center executive director. “The combined power of GateHouse’s investigative DNA and the Midwest Center’s vast institutional knowledge of the agricultural landscape will undoubtedly result in landmark storytelling.”



About The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting is a nonprofit, online newsroom offering investigative and enterprise coverage of agribusiness, big ag and related issues through data analysis, visualizations, in-depth reports and interactive web tools. Visit us online at www.investigatemidwest.org.



About GateHouse Media, LLC

GateHouse Media, headquartered in Pittsford, New York, is a wholly owned subsidiary of New Media Investment Group Inc., which is focused primarily on investing in a high quality, diversified portfolio of local media assets and on growing existing advertising and digital marketing and business services. GateHouse Media is one of the largest publishers of locally based print and online media in the United States, as measured by its 156 daily publications. As of May 2, 2019, the company operates in over 615 markets across 39 states, reaching over 22 million people on a weekly basis and serves over 200,000 business customers. For more information regarding GateHouse Media, please visit www.gatehousemedia.com.

Contact

The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Pamela Dempsey, Executive Director

(217) 239-6617

pamelagdempsey@investigatemidwest.org



GateHouse Media

Carlene Cox, Director of Communications

(630) 310-9567

ccox@gatehousemedia.com

