Too many local news outlets have disappeared in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. The Gulf States Newsroom was created to ensure that stories related to health care, criminal justice, the economy and other important issues continue to be told. WWNO and WRKF in Louisiana, WBHM in Alabama, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and NPR are working together as a regional newsroom to plan coverage, share resources and add reporting power in a story-rich region that has for too long gone under-covered.
The Gulf States Newsroom thanks those who make our work possible through their support, including: the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NPR, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Commonwealth Fund, Moises Itzkowich Foundation, Theresa McDonald, the Trust for Civic Life, Advancing Democracy, Haberman Foundation, WWNO, WRKF, WBHM, MPB, and individual donors from our region and across the country. To learn more about the Gulf States Newsroom, or to support our work, email connect@gulfstatesnewsroom.org.
The Regional Team:
Ryan Vasquez, acting managing editor based at WWNO in New Orleans
Orlando Flores Jr., deputy managing editor based at WWNO in New Orleans
Tanya Ott, news editor based at WBHM in Birmingham
Drew Hawkins, senior reporter covering public health & special projects lead based at WWNO in New Orleans
Nellie Beckett, community engagement producer based at WBHM in Birmingham
Elise Catrion Gregg, community engagement reporter based at MPB in Jackson
Aubri Juhasz, youth and families reporter based at WWNO in New Orleans
Joseph King, sports and culture reporter based at WBHM in Birmingham
Maya Miller, democracy and government reporter based at MPB in Jackson
Marci Schramm, development director based at WWNO in New Orleans
Andrea Miller, business manager based at WBHM in Birmingham
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Across the Gulf South, people on parole and probation are responsible for much of the cost of community supervision. For many, it’s an untenable financial burden. -
Public schools observe the week, timed to national Constitution Day on Sept. 17, by teaching students about Americans' freedoms and where they come from. -
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest data obtained by the Deportation Data Project shows that the New Orleans ICE office's area of responsibility has the second-highest arrest rate in the country relative to its noncitizen immigrant population. -
Clint Cointment says his administration isn't hiding any public records about the Hyundai Steel deal, despite denying requests from residents, advocacy groups, the courts and the Gulf States Newsroom. -
Louisiana Delta Community College created new four-week programs in response to Meta’s data center in Richland Parish and is helping locals land jobs. -
For many indigenous students in the Gulf South, pursuing higher education at a tribal college or university comes with significant barriers. -
Residents who live near where SpaceX’s rockets will be launched say they were kept in the dark about the project. -
A group of Black mothers in the Gulf South is supporting each other through their shared grief and fight for justice. -
Sheriffs receive 20% of Louisiana’s opioid settlement money but are not required to report how they spend those dollars. Records reveal how 43 offices are spending their share. -
Nondisclosure agreements covered up negotiations between a tech company and several local and state officials, surprising local residents. It's a tactic used around the country in data center deals.
