Public Editor Project: Indianapolis

A project focused on fostering trust and media literacy in local markets

What is a public editor?

Public editors serve as a critical bridge between news consumers and the newsrooms who serve them. They answer audience questions about the media, investigate ethics complaints and explore the gap between what people need from their information providers and what’s actually produced.

Historically, individual newsrooms have employed a public editor — formerly known as an ombudsman — to act as liaison between their audiences and their newsrooms. In the past many media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN had independent accountability to its audience through the public editor. Today, only one national outlet, NPR, still employs a public editor.

Independent accountability in journalism is as important as it always has been. A public editor provides the audience with a voice, enhances media literacy and holds newsrooms accountable to the communities they serve, which has the power to enhance trust.

Why Indianapolis?

Indianapolis is the first media market in the country to get a public editor, making this the first endeavor of its kind. This innovative project is designed to test whether the presence of a public editor who analyzes every newsroom can elevate audience trust in journalism and promote media literacy.

Indianapolis serves as the first market in what we hope to be an expansive program that encompasses all of the major media markets. Indianapolis emerged as a prime location to test this project because it is a growing city with a robust media landscape and foundations like Lumina, who are invested in the future of the area’s information ecosystem.

Who is the Indianapolis Public Editor?

Photo of a Black woman with straight brown hair smiling at the camera.Tracey Compton is the Indianapolis Public Editor. She has experience on both sides of the media fence, working in newsrooms and communications offices. Prior to joining Poynter, Compton was the senior media and communications coordinator for global humanitarian aid organization, Mercy Corps. As a reporter, she’s covered breaking news, K-12 and higher education, city government and the military at Sound Publishing in the Pacific Northwest and the St. Cloud Times in Minnesota. Her internships include The Seattle Times, KING-5 News, The Oakland Tribune and KUOW, the Seattle-based NPR affiliate.

She is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, where she earned degrees in journalism and political science. Tracey currently lives in Indianapolis and, when not immersed in a book, you can find her volunteering in Indy at her favorite local food justice project or therapeutic horseback riding center outside city limits.

Have questions about a story you read, heard or watched in Indianapolis? Reach out to the Indianapolis Public Editor at indypubliceditor@poynter.org. Sign up for the Indy Public Editor weekly newsletter here.

Why Poynter?

Poynter’s Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership is dedicated to improving the reliability of journalism and transparency between newsmakers and news consumers. The institute’s senior vice president and chair of the Ethics Center, Kelly McBride, currently serves as NPR’s public editor, a position she’s held since 2020, and previously served as public editor for ESPN.

Our work

Upcoming Events

Below, you’ll find information on our upcoming events with the Indianapolis Public Editor.

Indy Public Editor Meet and Greet

Meet Tracey Compton — Indy’s first Public Editor — in person
Indianapolis is the first city in the country to have a public editor. In this first-of-its-kind role, she will serve as bridge between the news consumers of Indianapolis and the newsrooms who serve them. This is your opportunity to meet Tracey in person.

Register today

Our team

  • Tracey Compton
    Indianapolis Public Editor
    Tracey Compton is the Indianapolis Public Editor. This role is an 18-month pilot project to test whether the existence of a news liaison who is...
    Read More
  • Kelly McBride
    Senior Vice President and Chair of Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership
    Kelly McBride is a journalist, consultant and one of the country’s leading voices on media ethics and democracy. She is senior vice president and chair...
    Read More
  • Nicole Slaughter Graham
    Editor, Ethics Center newsletters
    Nicole Slaughter Graham is the newsletters editor for the Ethics Center. She helps manage and hone the Ethic's Center's newsletters including the NPR Public Editor...
    Read More
  • Amaris Castillo
    Research/Writing Assistant
    Amaris Castillo is a research/writing assistant for NPR public editor Kelly McBride and a contributor to Poynter.org. She is also the creator of Bodega Stories,...
    Read More

Thank you to our funders