New York Times : Introducing the 2023–24 Local Investigations Fellows

We are proud to announce the inaugural class of the Local Investigations Fellowship. The program, which is being led by Dean Baquet, the former executive editor of The New York Times, gives journalists the opportunity to produce signature investigative work focused on their state or region that will be published by The Times and made available for free for co-publication by local newsrooms.

"There was so much talent out there and so many good ideas. These were hard choices. But this is a remarkable group of reporters. And their work will have an impact on their communities," said Mr. Baquet.

When the program launched in October 2022, editors on the fellowship team visited local newsrooms across the country to learn more about the challenges facing local news. In those conversations, Mississippi in particular emerged as a place that could benefit from more investigative reporting resources to supplement its strong mix of local news outlets. Three fellows are based in Mississippi, and are the first Times employees to be hired in the state. Additional fellows hail from Hawaii, Maine, Maryland and Wisconsin. All will report from the communities where they live.

"The hard and expensive work of investigative reporting at the local level is rarer and more needed than ever. We're excited to play our part by helping these journalists tackle consequential questions in their communities and learn valuable new skills that will serve them for years to come," said A.G. Sulzberger, chairman and publisher of The Times.

The fellows in our inaugural class are: