Deep South Today

The New York Times Local Investigations Fellowship will collaborate with Deep South Today to launch a new investigative reporting center in early 2026. The Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center will include a dedicated investigative editor, full-time investigative and data reporters, and Times Local Investigations Fellows at Mississippi Today and Verite News New Orleans. Their work, supported by Big Local News, will be co-published by Deep South Today and The Times, and made available to local newsrooms for co-publication.

A major question for us at Deep South Today: How can we scale and bolster our impactful investigative reporting across the region? A major answer announced today: A groundbreaking partnership with one of the world's top investigative newsrooms. The Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center will launch in early 2026 with a lead investigative editor, dedicated full-time investigative and data reporters, and The New York Times Local Investigations Fellows at Mississippi Today and Verite News New Orleans. It will also include support from Big Local News, a program at Stanford University that empowers journalists with data, tools and collaborations. This first-of-its-kind collaboration will redefine what’s possible for local journalism. By combining the familiarity and trust of Deep South Today’s newsrooms with the resources and expertise of The New York Times, we’re building a regional force for accountability and change. The future of American investigative reporting starts here in the Deep South, in communities that need it most. https://lnkd.in/g39MCp68

Deep South Today, the nonprofit network of local newsrooms that includes Mississippi Today, Verite News New Orleans, and The Current in Lafayette, Louisiana, today announced that it will create a new regional investigative reporting center in collaboration with The New York Times Local Investigations Fellowship. The Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center will launch in early 2026 with a lead investigative editor, dedicated full-time investigative and data reporters, and New York Times Local Investigations Fellows at Mississippi Today and Verite News. It will also include support from Big Local News, a program at Stanford University that empowers journalists with data, tools and collaborations. As the Deep South Today network of newsrooms continues to grow, the Deep South Today Investigative Reporting Center will add capacity in its new newsrooms with dedicated reporters and fellows. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gnxbe6iG

It is my pleasure to announce that Hollis R. Towns joins us today as the first Chief Operating Officer of Deep South Today. Hollis is bringing precisely the kind of skills and expertise that Deep South Today needs at a moment when we are poised for dramatic growth. He is an accomplished journalist and a proven business strategist with a deep understanding of talent development, digital innovation, and financial management. Hollis is also a Georgia native who now lives in Alabama, so he is intimately familiar with our region. I am looking forward to working closely with him to advance our work and deliver more local journalism to the communities we serve.

Deep South Today named Hollis R. Towns as its first Chief Operating Officer. Towns is an experienced journalist and media executive who most recently held senior leadership positions at Gannett and AL.com and Alabama Media Group. In his role as Chief Operating Officer, Towns will be responsible for translating strategy into actionable steps, sustainably scaling the organization, driving operational integrity, and strengthening the fiscal business hub. His appointment is the result of a national search conducted over the last six months by BoardWalk Consulting. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gkxrPGC7

Verite News New Orleans is seeking an assistant managing editor to work with the managing editor and editor-in-chief to continue growing a staff that will be recognized as a leader in independent, nonpartisan journalism in the Deep South. As directed by the managing editor, the assistant managing editor will help make assignments, direct coverage and edit copy for staff reporters and photographers as well as work with freelancers and contributors to regularly publish high-quality content on our website that is also shared with organizations across the internet. Know someone who would be a good fit? Tag them below and/or read the full job details here: https://lnkd.in/g59m8cEA

We are pleased to announce that Adam Schweigert has been elevated to the position of Chief Strategy Officer. In his new role, Schweigert will lead the organization’s comprehensive strategic planning processes and play a key role on the executive team defining and communicating strategic vision as the network continues to expand and address local news gaps in the region. Additionally, he will continue to provide product leadership, leading the product and audience teams, identifying opportunities for new products and services, establishing key performance indicators for strategic initiatives, and ensuring alignment across business units. Read More: https://lnkd.in/gxRye4xC

Deep South Today, a growing nonprofit network of independent newsrooms in Louisiana and Mississippi, has named Adam Ganucheau as its first Executive Editor & Chief Content Officer. Ganucheau has led Mississippi Today as Editor-in-Chief since April 2020 and began his new position on Sept. 29. He steps into a regional leadership role overseeing Deep South Today’s editorial and content strategy across its growing network of nonprofit newsrooms. https://lnkd.in/gXtswKz7

Congratulations to Mississippi Today political reporter Taylor Vance, who was among 30 journalists nationwide selected by the National Press Foundation for its 2025 Federal Action, Local Impact Journalism Fellowship! He and his cohort “will learn from a roster of top experts, insiders and veteran journalists about how to follow the massive shifts happening at the federal level and what that means for their own communities.”

As providers of trusted local news in the Mississippi Delta region, Deep South Today can play an essential role in connecting citizens with opportunities to gain new skills and find better jobs. We are proud to help advance economic empowerment by giving people the information they need to improve their lives and communities. Deep South Today is among 11 community organizations across Mississippi awarded grants from the Foundation for the Mid South as part of its Moving Mississippians Forward Through Employment Initiative. The initiative is supported by FMS and funded through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Workforce Development Grant Program.