The connection between the Ball State and Muncie communities goes beyond proximity.
A sense of community and generosity is rooted in the city’s history — the most famous example being the very cause of Ball State’s founding — and continues to move the community forward today.
The Daily News has always felt it needed to be more present in the Muncie community. After the passing of House Bill 1315, which gave Ball State responsibility for Muncie Community Schools (MCS), we saw a perfect chance to do so.
We also saw an opportunity to expand upon the news coverage of MCS. While official grades and measures are important, they only tell part of the story.
Individuals from various backgrounds and parts of the community have been coming together for years to help find solutions to socioeconomic obstacles the district faces.
Read the stories in The Partnership Project here.
These difficulties are not unique to MCS.
Simply reporting the presence of problems presents a specific narrative and guides readers to form perhaps an incomplete opinion, rather than providing adequate context and allowing individuals to see more of the story.
Through the launching of The Partnership Project, The Daily News is making a commitment to its readers, and the community as a whole, to take notice of what is happening everyday throughout MCS.
We hope to provide a full picture of the commitment to progress within the district. While we know MCS faces obstacles, we want readers to see what is being done.
In just a semester of reporting, we have been thrilled to meet first-hand the “doers” in the community — the people who set out every day to make Muncie a better place. The amount of dedication and sheer spirit of community is simply overwhelming.
Thank you to those who have already extended their support and ideas for this project. This first edition is just the start to what will be a long-term project with periodic updates — both digitally and in print.
We welcome your story ideas. We welcome your concerns or criticisms if you have them. But, most importantly, we hope these stories tell you something you didn’t know about Muncie’s public schools and give you a voice in your community’s future.
On behalf of the staff and former editor-in-chief Allie Kirkman, who got the ball rolling with this project, I thank you.
Most sincerely,
Brooke Kemp
Editor-in-chief, The Ball State Daily News