Idaho EdNews: Over a Decade of Dedicated Journalism Benefiting Idaho Students Article

When Idaho EdNews was founded in 2013, education was a hot-button issue. Idaho spending on education ranked at the bottom nationally and state graduation rates were plummeting. Measures to improve education were muddled with misinformation and partisan politics, with sparse news coverage explaining these critical issues by only a handful of local media sources…none specifically focused on education in Idaho.

It was in this unsettled climate that veteran education reporter and insider Jennifer Swindell, now the Managing Editor and CEO of EdNews, had a realization; if the people of Idaho were able to access clear, transparent facts and data about education issues in the state and their communities, they would be able to make more informed decisions about the future of education for all students.

Making the Facts Matter

Swindell explains the inspiration, “Idaho is a very independent state and communities want local control. When they get funding from the state, they are able to use [EdNews] as a tool in their decision making. We empower communities through knowledge.”

Today, EdNews has grown from the original team of Swindell and two dedicated reporters into a talented, experienced newsroom. Two reporters specialize in education policy creating, the politics, and two specialize in policy implementation, the teaching and learning. With this additional staff, EdNews has also been able to expand their regional coverage to Eastern and North Idaho.

One core member of this team since the inception of the organization, is reporter and blogger, Kevin Richert. He is an award-winning journalist who, in addition to his work for EdNews, appears on television and radio news broadcasts as an expert in his field.

The West Ada Education Association (WAEA) said of EdNews and Richert (in an excerpt from his nomination for the “Friend of the Association” award), “Kevin Richert and Idaho Ed News are an INVALUABLE resource for Idaho educators. Idaho Ed News does a great job of consistently reporting unbiased information and providing in-depth analyses from various stakeholders.”

Other talented reporters include Emma Epperly and Carly Flandro, both having a background working in education as well as in journalism. New reporter, Ryan Suppe, joined EdNews at the end of 2023. He brings with him a wealth of experience working with other news outlets in the state and specializes in policy and legislative reporting.

According to the EdNews 2023 yearly report and Chalkbeat, a national education news source, their site receives more views than similar websites in Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Philadelphia, Tennessee, and Indiana. The Idaho news outlet has seen their traffic increase in every category since 2019, particularly in the areas of email and podcast subscribers. EdNews boasts an astounding 900,000 unique users from around the country and the world.

Speaking Truth to Power

Many of these viewers are drawn to the EdNews stories covering politics and responsibility in state education. The demand for transparency and accountability for the public’s tax dollars and for student success has been paramount from the beginning.

“Our mission is about holding schools accountable, but it is also about holding elected officials accountable,” explains Richert.

“If they’re going to pass a law that is intended to help education, we want to know how that really worked out? How did that money get spent? Did it really affect student success and outcomes?”

The state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Debbie Critchfield, comments on the role of EdNews as a public watchdog, “One of the most important roles EdNews plays is related to accountability. A newsroom of its size and caliber, shining a bright light on education issues, fulfills journalism’s critical role of telling important stories while holding those of us in the education space accountable to the public.”

Keeping a close eye on local and state elections, and the candidates’ views on education is another way EdNews keeps Idaho voters informed and holds politicians accountable. Prior to the May primary, they published a voter’s guide specifically addressing education topics. This allowed the public to have a deeper perspective on the candidates, beyond the soundbites and ads.

Suppe, who reports on the elections, explains, “Any candidate can write a stump speech that hits all the talking points and makes them look good, but it’s an entirely other thing when a reporter begins to ask you in-depth follow-up questions.”

Giving easy access to school data is another important component of accountability. EdNews provides a list, ranking 767 Idaho schools. Additionally, EdNews has collaborated with the state Controller’s office to develop a statewide database, giving the public access to updated, vital information on our schools.

The ability of EdNews to provide readers with complex, digital resources is one of the digital news service’s greatest benefits, believes Richert. “The online format gives us a chance to show data much more easily and in a much more accessible way for our readers,” states Richert. “No print newspaper is going to be able to offer that option, like the database of school rankings.”

Changing the Conversation

Beyond providing the public with statistics on school performance, EdNews also focuses on the broader trends that are affecting Idaho students. One such issue is the stagnant college entrance rates and the need for other pathways for post-secondary training, beyond a four-year college.

EdNews asks the very relevant question: “If most of Idaho’s high school graduates are not continuing their education, is the public school system preparing them for the future they want?” This has changed the conversation about life after high school from one only about college to one that includes career and technical education (CTE).

“Not all kids are successful in a traditional public school environment,” comments Swindell. “Not all kids are able to learn in that setting.”

Charter schools and CTE schools offer students and families an option that works for them and their future.

Similarly, when their reporting reflected Idahoans’ desire for students to graduate high school with more real-life competencies, including financial literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, EdNews was able to use this information to influence lawmakers, who made these improvements part of school policies.

In the last decade, due to their commitment to credible, consistent education journalism, EdNews has built a national reputation as the go-to source for information about Idaho schools. They have also gained a reputation for rigorous reporting that delves into current issues and policy decisions, something their readers appreciate and have come to expect.

 “The EdNews readers tend to be very engaged parents, teachers, school administrators, and politicians,” offers Suppe. “They often know what’s going on already, so they expect us to go deeper than what the average newspaper would do.”

Sharing a Wealth of Knowledge

While EdNews readers include decision-makers and parents, they also include other news outlets, both in and out of the state. Through their partnership with the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation (JKAF), EdNews has been able to offer readers access to their service without a subscription, and it allows other news outlets to openly republish their stories, giving the proper attribution, free of charge.

“The beauty of what we do, is that we give away all our stories basically for free to other media outlets without a paywall,” confirms Swindell.

Print newspapers have seen a spike in costs and a decline in their readership across the board, but particularly hard hit are the small, local papers. They no longer have the budgets to provide specialized “beat” coverage in areas such as education, and they can no longer afford to send reporters to the Capitol to attend the lengthy legislative session. EdNews has been able to help these outlets fill that gap, so localized news can continue to provide their communities with relevant education reporting.

Richert shares, “Allowing other media to access EdNews stories for free has helped us build good relationships with other news partners throughout the state.”

These relationships, combined with the credibility in journalism that EdNews has garnered, put them in a position to collaborate with other media outlets in Idaho and around the nation. These projects give EdNews the opportunity to share the reporting from a wide range of sources and highlight national trends in education for local readers.

“The quality of the work, the credibility of the work, the independence of the work, are the most valuable assets we’ve got.

“It’s something we’ve worked our way toward in the last 11 years. We’ve established that we do good work, serious in-depth journalism. We bring something to a collaboration,” reflects Richert.

As EdNews moves into their second decade as a valued media source, they continue to seek ways to meet the needs of their existing readers, and reach out to new ones. Increased regional reporting is an area they would like to focus on. While EdNews currently touts coverage in much of the state, having additional local reporters attending school board meetings or offering insights into a community will bring an elevated level of credibility in those markets.

True to EdNews’ initial pledge of providing stakeholders with relevant information to inform their decisions about schools, Swindell would like the news service to become more involved in speaking publicly about informed voting in the future. Swindell explains, “I want to take what we know on the road, presenting the importance of being an informed voter — not just a voter — and tell people where to find good, unbiased information and how to get involved.

Finding quality news sources can be challenging in today’s complicated media world. That is why a source of respected journalism like EdNews, is more crucial than ever for our state. Especially, when it comes to an issue as important as the education of our future generations. The reporters at EdNews credit the support they receive from partners like JKAF for their ability to provide the level of specialized, comprehensive stories that they do.

 “The quality of the work, the credibility of the work, the independence of the work, are the most valuable assets we’ve got. The Foundation has encouraged and nurtured a place where we are able to do that,” Richert concludes.