Jan. 5, 2023 www.investigatemidwest.org Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
Greetings and Happy 2023!
We are excited to have you along with us as we launch into this new year and appreciate your support of our work.
To catch you up, we have some terrific plans for this year. Here’s a quick rundown of what we are looking to accomplish:
- Ongoing reporting by reporters Sky Chadde and Johnathan Hettinger on the state of farmworker housing across the country, supported in part by the Pulitzer Center. (You can read the first of those stories here.)
- A serial investigation focusing on just who owns American farmland by reporter Madison McVan in collaboration with InvestigateTV, which has affiliates around the country. (You can read their first project produced in 2022 here, “Secret Subsidies.”)
- More stories about the fertilizer industry, its impact on small farmers and our environment by reporter and Report for America corp member Mónica Cordero. (Read her work here.) This also is part of our work with the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk based at the University of Missouri and funded by the Walton Family Foundation. (See below for stories from this collaboration.)
And there’s much more to come, including events and a new website launching early this year.
I started with Investigate Midwest last June, and it’s been an honor to become executive director. I work with very smart, very talented people who keep me on my toes. It’s truly a joy.
So stick around. We’ve got lots cooking to keep you engaged and coming back for more.
All the best,
Erin Orr, Executive Director and Managing Editor
Notable stories about the Mississippi River
The following stories are a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in partnership with Report For America and funded by the Walton Family Foundation. Investigate Midwest is part of this network.
There is a handful of stories we would like to reshare with you from this important collaboration that focuses on the Mississippi River basin.
"When It Rains" was the first series from many of the partners. The focus was on the increasing rainfall that is hitting the basin as a result of climate change. This has big consequences for those who rely on the river. Here are the stories:
Story 1 of 4: The Mississippi River basin is getting wetter as climate change brings era of extreme rain, floods
Story 2 of 4: To stay or to go: Increased flooding forces towns to make hard choice
Story 3 of 4: A wetter world is changing farm country. Can growers adapt?
Story 4 of 4: Making room for the river: Communities look at nature-based solutions
Thank you for a great year-end campaign!
We start 2023 with strength, thanks to you. From Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, you generously gave $28,833.10. We participated in NewsMatch, a national program that matches up to $15,000 in individual gifts. We appreciate your gifts, the work of the Knight Foundation and other organizations, and the Institute for Nonprofit News.
Personally, I want to thank you. One of the best parts of working for Investigate Midwest is knowing I am supporting democracy through the power of accountability journalism. It is a privilege to share that same goal as you.
Happy New Year!
Mary Ungs-Sogaard, Donor Relations Manager
