After a competitive six-month search, the Indiana Local News Initiative, a new nonprofit organization that has raised more than $10 million so far to ensure all residents of Indiana have access to the news and information they need, has hired Oseye Boyd as its Indianapolis Editor-in-Chief.
As Editor-in-Chief, Boyd will head the Indiana Local News Initiative’s mission to fill information gaps with the launch of a robust newsroom in Central Indiana, facilitating investments in journalism outlets around the state and fostering collaboration among Indiana outlets to amplify local journalism for all Hoosiers, especially those underserved.
“I’m honored to serve my community by increasing local news coverage in Indianapolis. My goal as editor in chief is not only to deliver the news by making it accessible and relevant to our residents but also to create strong relationships with our community members so we become their trusted go-to source for news and information that empowers them in their daily lives,” said Boyd.
Boyd, an accomplished journalist with deep ties to Indianapolis, will leverage her experience in leading newsrooms, developing journalism talent and reporting locally in Indiana to launch the newsroom for Indianapolis.
Her strong track record of award-winning coverage and creative community engagement make her uniquely suited to lead this groundbreaking effort.
Currently, Boyd is the public engagement editor at the Indianapolis Star, where she spearheaded innovative efforts to center community perspectives in the newsroom.
Since joining the Star in 2022, Boyd launched the Black Community Advisory Council for Black residents and leaders to provide regular feedback on the Star’s coverage. She also created the podcast Voices of the Community, which highlights those working behind-the-scenes to make the city and state a better place.
Boyd was formerly the Editor-in-Chief of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper and Indiana Minority Business Magazine, where she led a team of reporters to produce several award-winning pieces on issues impacting the city’s Black community.
She has also worked as a reporter and editor at the Star Press in Muncie, Indiana and teaches journalism at the Eugene S. Pulliam School of Journalism and creative media at Butler University.
Boyd was hired after an extensive search led by a committee of local and industry experts. As part of the process, a panel of residents interviewed Boyd and other candidates on how they would serve local communities, then made recommendations to the search committee.
“Oseye brings an unparalleled level of talent and passion to the role—she has impeccable news judgment, an empathetic leadership style, and a commitment to making meaningful journalism accessible to all Hoosiers,” said Karen Ferguson Fuson, board chair of the Indiana Local News Initiative and member of the initiative’s Editor-in-Chief search committee.
“It’s meaningful that this rigorous search and a highly competitive process resulted in the hiring of an editor in chief who is from Indianapolis and who has spent her career serving our communities,” said Tamara Winfrey-Harris, president of the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana and member of the search committee.
“We will all be excited to see how Oseye leverages her background and experience to do more innovative, community-centered local journalism for our city.”
With its founding Indianapolis Editor-in-Chief in place, the Indiana Local News Initiative will begin hiring other key members of the newsroom team, including a managing editor, an audience development director, a Documenters assignment editor and various reporting positions.
The initiative will also continue fundraising and making investments to fulfill its mission of ensuring information gaps are filled for all of Indiana’s communities.
