The Tennessee Lookout, an independent, non-partisan online news organization covering state government and policy today announced it will launch Wednesday, May 6.
Tennesseans face critical issues as rural hospitals close, trade wars threaten farmers and public education systems struggle with budget shortfalls, yet the number of reporters covering statehouse news across the country has plummeted over the last 15 years, said officials.
“In an era when corporations are slashing resources to newsrooms and local coverage is shrinking, we are excited to offer Tennesseans a fresh way to get intensive coverage of local and state issues,” said Holly McCall, editor-in-chief of Tennessee Outlook. “Tennessee Lookout is investing in some of the most talented investigative reporters in the state to arm citizens with the information they need to hold our government accountable.”
The award-winning staff members are:
Holly McCall, editor-in-chief, covered city government for papers in Columbus, Ohio, and Joplin, Mo., before returning to Tennessee to cover commercial real estate/development and public affairs for the Nashville Business Journal. She has served as political analyst for WZTV Fox 17 and provided public affairs counsel to non-profit and advocacy groups. Ms. McCall has also provided communications consulting for Metro Nashville government agencies and two presidential campaigns.
Nate Rau, senior reporter: During his 17-year career at The Tennessean and Nashville City Paper, Mr. Rau covered everything from city politics to the music business. During his career, he received the 2019 National Headliner second-place award for best political reporting for coverage of Mayor Megan Barry’s resignation, a national Associated Press Sports Editors investigative reporting award in 2017 for a series on sexual assaults involving athletes at the University of Tennessee, the 2013 Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award for non-deadline reporting for a special section about distracted driving and the Malcolm Law Award for Investigative Journalism by the Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters and Media in 2011 for coverage of deaths at an addiction recovery center.
Dulce Torres, reporter: Ms. Torres has written for the Nashville Scene. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, she received the John Seigenthaler Award for Outstanding Graduate in Print Journalism in 2016. Ms. Torres is bilingual in Spanish and English.
Anita Wadhwani, seniorrReporter: Ms. Wadhwani, formerly an investigative reporter for the Tennessean, has received numerous awards for her work, including The Associated Press Media Editors' First Amendment Award, The Green Eyeshade Award for excellence in journalism and the South Asian Journalists Association award for best multimedia story. With Mr. Rau, she was recognized nationally for Investigative Reporting by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2017 and most recently was named Journalist of the Year for 2019 by the TAPME. She also won the 2019 Malcolm Law Award for Investigative Journalism.
The Lookout will cover issues including health care legislation, education, mental health and addiction treatment, criminal justice reform, environment and climate change and the evolving COVID-19 pandemic as it affects Tennesseans.
The Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a national nonprofit corporation funded by tax-free donations. Readers can access the content with no ads or paywalls. The free email newsletter, the Daily Dispatch, will provide a roundup of the day’s top news and commentary. Readers can sign up for the newsletter now at https://tennesseelookout.com.
E-mail news tips to info@tennesseelookout.com.
Twitter: @TNLookout
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tennesseelookout/