Former IndyStar columnist James Briggs returns as opinion and engagement editor
James Briggs, an award-winning former IndyStar metro columnist, is returning to the newspaper as opinion and community engagement editor, where he'll oversee all opinion content.
"Writing columns for IndyStar was a dream job," Briggs said. "I’m thrilled to do it again in an expanded role."
He spent the last year at Axios writing a morning newsletter for Indianapolis.
During his three years as a columnist, Briggs lent his voice and discernment to myriad issues facing Hoosiers and the city, from taxes to the mayor's leadership to the political war over abortion. At times he broke news, such as an instance of possible election fraud by a scandal-plagued secretary of state candidate. And at times he wrote profoundly personal columns about life, fatherhood and death.
"We're thrilled to bring James' unique voice, perspective and community knowledge back to IndyStar," said Mary Irby-Jones, Midwest regional editor.
Briggs won the top award for column writing from the Indiana chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for 2021.
His time at IndyStar extends back to 2015, during which time he covered business and city government and partnered with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ryan Martin on a one-year investigative reporting project called The Toll, which covered violence in Indianapolis.
His byline previously appeared in the Baltimore Business Journal, the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press and Ann Arbor News.
Briggs' vision for the opinion section, he said, is to provoke thoughtful debate about improving the lives of Hoosiers.
"I want IndyStar Opinion to be a civil forum for thoughtful conversations about how to make Indiana better," he said. "We’re going to share diverse perspectives on challenging topics. We’re going to celebrate community builders and call out performance artists masquerading as public servants. The incentive structures in media and politics often reward the loudest, most extreme voices. I’m out to prove you can be provocative while also engaging in nuanced, good faith-debate — and that there’s a large audience for that, especially here in Indiana."
Michael McCarter, vice president and opinion editor for Gannett and the USA TODAY Network, said he's excited to welcome Briggs back to IndyStar.
"James understands the issues that are important to the residents of Indianapolis and Indiana," McCarter said. "He will cut through the noise of social media and the 24/7 news cycles to convene conversations that will foster greater understanding of topics that matter most."
Briggs, 42, lives in Irvington with his wife, Amanda, and two kids, Felix and Meredith.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: James Briggs returns to IndyStar as opinion editor
