The Commercial Dispatch

The Commercial Dispatch, a daily paper and a news site, has been owned by the same family for 100 years. The primary coverage area is Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties. Lowndes is home to a diverse economy. Oktibbeha’s economy is largely fueled by Mississippi State University. This news organization tackles stories with down-the-middle reporting, but also believes a paper’s editorial stances play an important role in a community. Its tagline is “Open eyes, open minds,” a nod to its history of pushing aggressive watchdog journalism and a vibrant local opinion page.

Current Position

Location: Columbus, Mississippi

Beat: Economic and workforce issues in rural Mississippi

Position:

This relatively rural area has seen outsized industrial growth over the past 18 years, with $5.9 billion in investment and the creation of 6,000 jobs. Much of this growth was fueled by controversial local and state incentives. This beat covers economic development and workforce development, two subjects closely intertwined. Daily stories include industry briefs and workforce development initiatives. Long-term enterprise stories explore industrial recruitment efforts and the $65 million cleanup of a local Superfund site.

Reporter: Grant McLaughlin