We have liftoff.
The Flatwater Free Press launched Friday, publishing four stories about Nebraska’s summer slog to get vaccinated, Nebraska doctors frustrated and furious with unvaccinated patients, a message about why FFP is needed and a freelance story on a Hastings woman getting evicted during the eviction moratorium.
We followed those with a story about two Millard neighbors on different sides of the masking-in-schools debate, a story focusing on quieter, more nuanced voices than you may hear at school board meetings.
The success of these stories on our website and social media has blown us away. Thank you so much for reading, liking, commenting and subscribing. But even more stunning, at least to us, is the statewide reach these stories have achieved thanks to our agreements with media partners.
At least one of the stories above has appeared in the following Nebraska media outlets: The Omaha World-Herald, KMTV 3 News Now in Omaha, Lincoln Journal Star, 10/11 News in Lincoln, Nebraska Public Media, News Channel Nebraska, NOISE, The Reader, Beatrice Daily Sun, Grand Island Independent, Hastings Tribune, Kearney Hub, Norfolk Daily News, North Platte Telegraph, Scottsbluff Star-Herald, and the York News Times. Two Spanish-language versions of these stories will soon appear in El Perico and Telemundo Nebraska.
That’s 18 news outlets by our count. That’s a giant swath of Nebraskans from the Panhandle to the Missouri River, from urban, suburban and rural areas, and Nebraskans of different races, ethnicities, ages and political identities who got a chance to read important stories focused on Nebraska issues.
This is exactly how we envisioned the Flatwater Free Press when we first dreamed it. We’re here to work together and strengthen Nebraska journalism. And that’s exactly what we’re going to continue to do.
Look for updates soon on FFP hiring new reporters and forming new partnerships.
—Matthew Hansen, Editor
What We’re Into This Week: News From Around Nebraska
- Because we are vain, we lovvvvved these stories on a certain brand-new statewide journalism nonprofit: Bill Kelly’s interview for Nebraska Public Media, Aaron Sanderford’s story at Channel 3 and a fun podcast interview with Dan “The PR Man” Parsons, who gave us beer.
- Nebraska Public Media’s Will Bauer appeared on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” to explain why Nebraska’s COVID dashboard is still shut down even as the Delta variant surges across the Great Plains.
- The World-Herald’s Sara Gentzler becomes the first-ever Nebraska reporter to appear twice in this “News We’re Reading” section — it’s almost like winning a Pulitzer — for a very smart story that asks a simple question. As an effort to require Voter ID gains steam, has a Nebraskan ever been busted for faking his or her identity?
- And finally, a powerful story from OWH reporter Julie Anderson that ran in Lee Enterprises-owned newspapers across the state, including in the Kearney Hub. In his final act, a Nebraskan who didn’t get vaccinated and his grieving family members beg their fellow Nebraskans to make a different decision.
