I have written often on this blog why I continue writing about local news in Fishers.  There just is not much original, straight news coverage on the local scene here.

But on the state level, we are seeing different developments.  Many years ago I covered the Indiana Statehouse on occasion…not much, but a little.  What struck me in the early 1980s was the number of reporters news outlets around Indiana sent to report on government at the the state level.

That has thinned out a great deal over the years, with newspapers closing and consolidating ownership.  But we have new news outlets starting-up and they are worth our attention.

First, Capitol Chronicle is a nonprofit that provides its materials free of charge.  I had Nikki Kelly, the editor of that operation, on a podcast available at this link.  You can see their work and sign-up for a free e-mail newsletter at this link.

An operation that has just launched is State Affairs.  This news source does have a subscriber fee of $12.99 per month, or less per month if you pay in advance for an entire year.  State Affairs has taken two top reporters away from the Indianapolis Star, Kaitlin Lange and Ryan Martin.  I’ve already subscribed and am looking forward to reading their content.

You may have heard about Axios, it is a national news operation out of suburban Washington DC, but is now opening local bureaus in states.  Axios is expected to open its Indiana operation soon, possibly in January.

So, as you can see, the Indiana Statehouse is adding news outlets and that is a very good thing.  State lawmakers have a very big impact on the daily lives of Hoosiers.

However, I remain pessimistic about local news in Indiana.  It really hit me when the weekly newspaper in my parents’ home town closed a couple of years ago.  The Loogootee Tribune first published in the post-Civil War era.  It’s demise is not a good sign for Indiana local news.

The problem is a lack of a business model that works for local news operations.  You can always try the nonprofit route but it is a heavy lift to get started and requires constant fund-raising to be successful.  Making money commercially providing news online works in some places, but is not profitable everywhere.

There are two newspapers in Hamilton County, The Times and The Reporter.  They have both survived because Hamilton County is the most affluent county in the state.  But when an economic downturn hits, will both be able to survive?  Time will tell.

In the meantime, I continue to cover Fishers as best I can.  Thank you for reading.