News commentary

Why the Fight for Local Journalism Matters

Columbia Journalism Review · Joel Simon · last updated

Mississippi Today reporter Anna Wolfe won a Pulitzer Prize in 2023 for an investigative series describing how Mississippi governor Phil Bryant directed millions of dollars in state welfare funds to projects that benefited his family and friends, among them former NFL quarterback Brett Favre. Bryant sued, alleging that Mississippi Today’s CEO, and also Wolfe and her editor, had defamed him in their public comments. Last week, a judge dismissed the case, sparing Mississippi Today the prospect of being compelled to reveal confidential sources during the discovery process. 

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