Cummins and WFYI Partner to Expand Local Coverage of Criminal Justice

Report for America Reporter to Join WFYI News Team in June

INDIANAPOLIS – Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) and WFYI Public Media announced today that they are collaborating to expand the organization’s coverage of criminal justice with a focus on equity. The expanded coverage will kick off in June 2021.

This new partnership brings together Cummins’ philanthropic focus on diversity, equity and inclusion with WFYI’s commitment to sharing the human stories behind headlines through an equity lens. It is also made possible by Report for America, a national service program that places emerging journalists into local newsrooms across the country to report on under-covered issues.

This June, a Report for America journalist will join the WFYI news team, which has grown from a small newsroom to a team of 36 regional and statewide reporters in the last decade. This new role will allow the station to expand its reporting on criminal justice issues and is made possible through a grant from Report for America and a local matching grant from Cummins.

“Criminal justice is an essential piece of telling Indianapolis’ story, and it’s important to report on it through an equity lens,” said WFYI CEO and President Greg Petrowich. “Cummins and Report for America are making it possible for our team to realize our goal of expanding coverage in this critical area."

In October 2020, Cummins launched Cummins Advocating for Racial Equity (CARE), an effort to achieve police reform, realize criminal justice reform, create economic empowerment by building Black wealth and income, and drive social justice reform in healthcare, housing, workforce development and civil rights, including voting rights and education.

“For Cummins, this opportunity fits perfectly with our efforts to drive sustainable impact in dismantling institutional racism and creating systemic equity,” said Fernando Herndon, CARE Program Leader. “We believe that trustworthy journalism can fuel both education and policy work, as it highlights the challenges and opportunities our community is facing to advance racial justice.”

Report for America prioritizes a diverse corps and is working with a number of professional organizations and college journalism programs to help ensure that newsrooms reflect the audiences they serve. To help connect corps members to the community, they are required to do a service project, which often includes engaging middle or high school students in journalism related activities. Both of these program elements mirror WFYI’s ongoing focus on reflecting central Indiana’s diverse communities and on effectively engaging the community through reporting.

About WFYI Public Media
Since 1970, WFYI has served central Indiana as a trusted friend. Its public radio and TV stations and its community engagement activities inform, entertain and educate Hoosiers of all ages and walks of life. WFYI broadcasts original content as well as programming from PBS and NPR. Learn more at wfyi.org.

About Cummins Inc.
Cummins Inc. is a global technology company designing, manufacturing, distributing and servicing a broad portfolio of reliable, clean power solutions; including diesel, natural gas, hybrid, electric and other alternative solutions. Established in 1919 and headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (U.S.), Cummins serves customers in more than 190 countries and territories around the world. More information can be found at www.cummins.com