Reporting stories with passion and grit is what we do every day
A local 10-year-old child — pregnant and probably scared — became the nexus of a national media and political conversation about abortion access in this nation.
Public opinion kept casting doubt on the story of her reported rape. Where was the evidence that this Columbus-area child rape victim had to go to Indiana to get an abortion? The story was originally reported by our sister newspaper, The Indianapolis Star.
But the evidence of her assault was right here. And last July, Columbus Dispatch public safety reporter Bethany Bruner was the first in the nation to report that a suspect, Gerson Fuentes, had confessed to raping the child on two occasions and had been charged with rape in connection to the assault. That Dispatch story literally changed the national conversation about abortion access and 1.2 million visitors from around the nation read it on Dispatch.com.
Find the facts.
Lead the community conversation.
Uncover the truth.
This is what we do every day.
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The year 2022 was filled with memorable, heartbreaking, impactful coverage that our staff brought to you online and in print. We started the news year with the announcement that Intel is coming to Licking County and ended it with reporting on what some are calling the Christmas miracle: the second of two infant twins taken in a stolen car being found safe. Our commitment to quality journalism, informative breaking news coverage, insightful analysis continues to drive our coverage of this great and growing community.
As the largest newsroom of local journalists in central Ohio, every day we work to bring you unparalleled news reporting and insight with passion, grit, empathy, and good old-fashioned, records-based reporting.
Here are just a few examples:
No local media outlet came close to our comprehensive coverage of Ohio’s 2022 election season, including the fight for redistricting, which dominated political news in Ohio. Jessie Balmert was the expert in the state on redistricting, breaking stories on court rulings and writing easy-to-understand analysis. Haley BeMiller’s coverage of the U.S. Senate race, from the primary to the general election, gave readers insight into all of the candidates.
No one provides Ohio State University football coverage better than we do. Period! Sports Columnist Rob Oller, along with beat writers Bill Rabinowitz and Joey Kaufman, provide expert analysis, breaking news, and updates about the Buckeyes at a level that can’t be matched, and their avid fans know that. For example, more than 500,000 visitors viewed our coverage of the OSU-Michigan matchup.
Sheridan Hendrix broke the story that OSU President Dr. Kristina Johnson planned to step down. Reporter Mike Wagner then followed up with an exclusive interview with Dr. Johnson in which she said she was proud of her tenure, and she had “no regrets."
City Hall reporter Bill Bush wrote about how the Columbus Crew gets to rent Lower.com field for $10 a month, but after a review of records found that the team was late with its payments.
Reporter Cole Behrens, our night breaking news reporter, was with the grandmother of five-month-old twins Ky’air and Kason Thomas when she first received news that Ky’air had been found alive in Indianapolis. He recorded the family’s jubilant reaction, and we were the first, with help from our sister newspaper in Indianapolis, to bring you the interview with the two women who personally found the suspect and baby Ky’air.
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This is what your financial support of our journalism accomplishes. Because of you, we can continue to provide quality reporting on the issues that matter to this community. If you are not a digital subscriber, I invite you to become one so you always have first access to our best journalism.
As we get ready to enter our 152nd year of serving this community, I want to emphasize that there are all kinds of ways to get our best reporting. There is Dispatch.com, The Columbus Dispatch app, the Dispatch printed product, breaking news alerts, email newsletters, podcasts, videos, and social media. Don’t miss out because every day we have you — our readers and subscribers — in mind. Each month, an average of 3 million visitors are reading news on Dispatch.com.
For those who support our work, thank you. We could not do what we do without you. And we will continue to provide the best coverage possible about what is important to Columbus, Franklin County, and central Ohio.
Edwina Blackwell Clarkeblackwellclark@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dispatch: Reporting stories with passion, grit is what we do every day
