LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Three Southern Indiana funders announced recently that Louisville Public Media (LPM) would receive funding in support of 89.3 WFPL’s expansion into Southern Indiana. WFPL will be able to grow reach and coverage in Southern Indiana thanks to the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, and Samtec, Inc.. These awards have also unlocked matching funds through LPM’s partnership with Report for America, which helped WFPL launch this new dedicated beat and hire John Boyle, WFPL’s Southern Indiana Reporter, a corps member with Report for America (RFA).
Boyle is WFPL’s first Southern Indiana Reporter. Since joining WFPL’s team, he has done powerful and essential work, including these recent stories about Floyd County’s Health Department, the county appointing its first ever Black council member, ongoing reports on the area’s battle against COVID-19 and so many more reports that highlight the critical importance of this news beat.
“LPM is working to combat the loss of local civic news coverage in our region by adding mission-driven public service journalism across our community,” said LPM President Stephen George. “I’m grateful for the support of the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, and Samtec Inc., who see the importance of this WFPL expansion and our growth in service of Southern Indiana.”
"John works tirelessly to cover critical Southern Indiana issues, from commissioners' meetings to food deserts, from vaccine clinics to new restaurants,” News Director Clare Roth said. “His reporting not only serves listeners in Southern Indiana, it builds bridges across the river, so Louisvillians feel more connected to their neighbors to the north."
This locally raised funding matches salary support from Report for America, a highly competitive national reporting initiative that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities. WFPL began participating in the program in the summer of 2020 and has since been fundraising to match the national funding with the goal of gaining enough local support to institutionalize the Southern Indiana beat beyond the three-year RFA term.
Louisville Public Media is proud to host two Report for America Corps members — in addition to John Boyle, Jasmine Demers covers issues related to youth and social services for the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
With support from national funders, Report for America covers a portion of each reporter’s salary. LPM is also seeking local donors to help support this reporting expansion, and Caesars Foundation of Floyd County, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana, and Samtec, Inc. have contributed to the Southern Indiana reporting fund for 2021-2022. You can support the WFPL Southern Indiana beat by making a donation here.
About Louisville Public Media
Louisville Public Media (LPM) is an independent, community supported not-for-profit corporation serving our community with three distinct public radio stations and an investigative unit: 89.3 WFPL News Louisville provides local, national and international news, public affairs and cultural programming; 90.5 WUOL Classical Louisville is our city’s only classical music radio station; 91.9 WFPK Independent Louisville showcases independent, alternative music and an array of musical genres; and the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting (KyCIR) shines the light of accountability on the people and institutions in power.
Louisville Public Media is also a proud member of the Kentucky Public Radio Network and manager of the Ohio Valley ReSource, a regional journalism collaborative reporting on economic and social change in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia.
About Report for America
Report for America is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities. Launched in 2017, Report for America is creating a new, sustainable system that provides Americans with the information they need to improve their communities, hold powerful institutions accountable, and rebuild trust in the media. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization with an established track record of training and supporting teams of emerging journalists around the world, including the recent launch of Report for the World in partnership with local newsrooms in India, Nigeria and Brazil.
About the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County
The Caesars Foundation of Floyd County (CFFC) is a private foundation, created to benefit the Floyd County community. The Foundation's philanthropic focus traditionally falls into the categories of grant making to charitable non-profit organizations, educational scholarships, and program related investments which encourage economic development. Caesars Southern Indiana is the sole contributor of funds to the Foundation.
About the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana
The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) is a tax-exempt public charity that manages over $143 million in charitable assets and administers more than 265 funds created by individuals, families, businesses and non-profit organizations – each of which supports the charitable intent of the donor who established the fund. At CFSI, we’re proud to serve as a partner, resource, steward – allowing our donors to support their own unique charitable objectives in ways that are easy, flexible and meaningful. And, through the administration of charitable funds and distribution of grants, the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana supports the community and addresses Southern Indiana’s most pressing needs by providing grants and acting as a community leader.
About Samtec, Inc.
Much more than just another connector company, Samtec puts people first with a commitment to exceptional service, quality products, and convenient design tools. Samtec encourages community involvement at each of their locations around the world, and they routinely host donation drives and invite non-profits into our various facilities to encourage participation. Being a good corporate citizen of a community carries with it responsibility. Since the majority of Samtec employees come from surrounding towns and cities, Samtec plays a big impact in this role as we look to improve the quality of life for our employees when they leave work for the day.
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