From the IndyStar editor: A new Sunday Star and a view of what's to come

Eric Larsen, Indianapolis Star
·3 min read

Remember January?

You know, way back when. Before Sen. Mike Braun secured his frontrunner position as Indiana's next governor. Before Tyrese Haliburton became "prom king" of NBA All-Star weekend. Before the moon blocked out the sun for those four minutes.

Before Caitlin Clark came to Indianapolis and eclipsed everything.

I joined IndyStar as executive editor in late January, not knowing that I'd be the one to tell you about a $2 million investment in our local news and advertising staff, the closure of our local printing press and associated changes to print deadlines, or the formation of a new Reader Advisory Panel that launched this Wednesday.

Back in January I'd intended to introduce myself and write to you more frequently. But then things changed. And changed again.

Now I'm sharing another change that our print subscribers have no doubt already noticed. Today we've launched a reimagined version of your Sunday Star. From here on out our flagship print edition will feature bolder design around our best work, new features that give you the local news you demand, and some new avenues for interaction with our journalists and journalism.

Inside, you'll find our "317" community news page and the return of Retro Indy's focus on our shared history, along with new features like our Accountability and Inspiration pages and more. I hope print readers will take it for a spin and tell us what they think, and that digital subscribers will check out the e-edition replica.

Reimaging our most-read print edition is a big swing, but it's part of what makes IndyStar more than a newspaper. Let me zoom out a bit and explain.

Beyond Sunday print: Defining our role in the community

IndyStar investigative reporter Tony Cook and Mirror Indy Deputy Managing Editor Ryan Martin hold the "Story of the Year" plaque at the Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists 2023 Best of Indiana Journalism awards on April 26, 2024. Cook, Martin, and IndyStar reporters Alexandria Burris and Dayeon Eom received the award for reporting on troubled bars in Indianapolis.

On Wednesday night, during the first meeting of our Reader Advisory Panel, member Roderick Bohannan asked a particularly smart question about how we at IndyStar view our role in the community.

It's a tall ask for someone who's still learning the main street names. But it's something I've thought about frequently. Here's a starting point that I'd like to share, edited down from the vision statement that I developed while interviewing to become your new neighbor.

IndyStar's mission:

  • As part of Gannett our mission is to empower communities to thrive by providing unbiased, unique local and national content and unrivaled marketing solutions to the communities we serve.

  • As a member of the USA TODAY Network, our newsroom fulfills that mission by providing independent local journalism that is essential to those communities.

  • In 2023, on the 120th anniversary of the Indianapolis Star, we publicly updated our mission statement: “IndyStar informs, empowers and inspires the people of Central Indiana with our journalism. We hold the powerful accountable and tell Hoosiers’ stories with depth and empathy. We do this to support democracy, improve lives and make our home state a more equitable place for all.”

IndyStar's vision:

  • IndyStar will serve as a catalyst for the enhancement of Indianapolis and Central Indiana news, sports and community leadership by proving the tremendous worth of our mission daily.

  • We will achieve our goals through rigorous planning to capitalize on the expected, nimble response to the unexpected, and the understanding that excellence in these areas will allow us to take well-informed risks that drive innovation.

  • We will win with service and inclusion. Collaboration will be our superpower, from mobile newsrooms to better serve and represent the diversity of our communities to cross-functional teams that mold our workplace culture. We will marshal our shared talents to uplift others.

  • We will grow where we are planted. Training/internship/fellowship partnerships with community education partners and others will help us identify, recruit and retain homegrown talent. Clear expectations and action planning will provide our coworkers work-life balance and opportunities for advancement. IndyStar will be a destination where journalism’s best thrives.

What's that mean in concrete terms? Well, let's write that story together in the months and years ahead. Thanks for sharing a slice of your Sunday with me, and for reading IndyStar.

IndyStar Executive Editor Eric Larsen can be reached at ericlarsen@indystar.com or 317-444-7342.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyStar releases redesigned Sunday print product, looks to future