The Indiana Publisher

Page 7 June 2022 how decisions in Indianapolis are made and how they affect citizens from all corners. We are dedicated to giving Hoosiers comprehensive state news, combining daily cover- age with in-depth scrutiny, political savvy and varied commentary. The site is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit corporation funded by tax-free donations. Readers can access the content with no ads or paywalls. The free email newsletter, the Fast Break, will provide a roundup of the day's top news and com- mentary. Readers can sign up for the newsletter now indianacapi- talchronicle.com. Newspapers, radio and television stations can also republish stories from Indiana Capital Chronicle for free under a Creative Commons License. Kelly has covered the Indiana Statehouse since 1999 – including five governors. She is a regular on Indiana Week in Review, a weekly public television rundown of news. She shifts her career to helm a staff of three includ- ing: Whitney Downard, a senior reporter who covered statehouse politics for three years for CNHI's nine Indiana papers; Casey Smith, a reporter who previously cov- ered the Indiana Legislature for The Associated Press' and Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, a reporter who joins the Indiana Capital Chronicle after covering city government and urban affairs for the Indianapolis Business Journal E-mail news tips to info@indi- anacapitalchronicle.com — Indiana Capitol Chronicle Chronicle Continued from Page 1 The Ball State senior has served in editor and reporter positions at her school's newspaper, the Ball State Daily News, and is one of nine college students participating in the 2022 Eugene S. Pulliam Internship Program. Each year, students from across the state are matched with papers by the HSPA Foundation for a 10-week, paid opportunity through the program named in honor of the late publisher of The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News. The interns receive hands-on training with editors in their respective newsrooms. The participating newspapers get a helping hand for several months from eager, young reporters. "It's a great opportunity for us to have an extra reporting staff member in the summer when often full-time, regular reporters tend to take a little more vacation," said Lisa Green, managing editor at The Journal Gazette. Green said it's important to offer students a variety of opportunities writing stories for different desks along with encouragement and detailed and constructive feedback. "I am always pretty vested in making sure that the internship is not just seen as something that benefits us but that there's a benefit to the intern," Green said. The Foundation also provides a mentor to assist students with their work during the summer. Mary Dieter is serving as the mentor for this year's Pulliam class. Dieter has been writing stories herself for more than 40 years, 20 of those with the Louisville Courier-Journal. She serves as DePauw University's editorial director and director of media relations and edits the school's alumni publication, DePauw Magazine. As a reporter, Dieter said she would regularly visit schools to speak with students looking toward careers in journalism. "I've always enjoyed working with young people," said Dieter who is also the mother of Amelia McClure, HSPA's executive director. Dieter meets with the intern group via Zoom to touch base and give them an opportunity to share and learn from each other's experiences. Dieter said she is available to consult with them individually as they work through their stories and she encourages them to develop into strong, confident, accurate reporters. Dieter said she always tells students it's important to work at their college news organizations. But getting into other newsrooms is also vital to their development. "I think internships are absolutely imperative to learn the ropes," Dieter said. "It's really great experience for these students to work under a professional editor." Olivia Tucker is also spending her summer working at a newspa- per covering the area where she grew up. The college senior is the first Pulliam intern to work at The Crothersville Times and the first from Vincennes University where she has worked on The Trailblazer. Tucker has an associate's degree in journalism from Vincennes and is finishing another in graphic design with a photography concentration. "This is literally my life's blood and passion," Tucker said. "So, anything I can do in journalism and get my hands on, I've always been a jack of all trades." Tucker said being a versatile journalist has made her a good fit at The Times where she does writing and photography. Knowing the area is important, too. "I didn't have to learn the lay of the land, I already knew it," Tucker said. "This is something all new to me because for 40 years, I've been a one-man office," said Curt Kovener, publisher and editor of The Times. "So, having someone to do some additional stories is a good deal for me." Kovener said when Tucker finishes her degree this December, she'll have a job waiting at his newspaper. "She really wants to get into this business and wants to work in her home county. I'm very pleased to hear that," Kovener said. Dieter said she hopes the interns will take away an appreciation for the task at hand of serving their communities, the importance of getting things right and working hard. She said she also hopes they come away with great enthusiasm — something that is already happening. "I love newspapers," Wilkins said. "I love the news- room experience, especially after working for The Journal Gazette." Interns Continued from Page 1 shattered, it was the call to action that arose out of those memories, made possible only by extensive reporting. For the first time in decades new federal gun laws were passed due in large part to the resounding outcry of the people. But there are forces that don't agree, those that whisper in the ears of our lawmakers about privacy concerns and control of the nar- rative. We saw it last session with a bill that sought to further redact public records containing juveniles' names even further. We were able to reach a com- promise, but again this year the Uniform Law Commission is flout- ing privacy concerns; this time seeking to redact public officials' home addresses. Our world, as ever, is in need and change, and limiting the pub- lic record is no way to do that. We must bear witness, we must be spurred to action. And we must continue reporting on what happens in our communities, especially when it is tragic and harrowing. There are many duties assigned to our newspapers and this is just one more. I hope our interns understood this in our orientation and will continue to carry the mantle. Dispatch Continued from Page 1 "I love the newsroom experience, especially after working for The Journal Gazette." — Maya Wilkins, Pulliam intern

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