Mission
Flatwater. Free Press.
Flatwater echoes the origins of our state’s name, a translation of the Oto or Omaha words for the Platte River. The Platte of course spans the state, providing sustenance and a travel route for this land’s first human inhabitants. Today it connects Scottsbluff to Omaha and hundreds of communities between. The word is all about Nebraska, all of Nebraska, and all of our state’s history.
Free references the First Amendment. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to participate in democracy — we hold these values dear. Through journalism, we aim to hold power accountable and amplify diverse voices. Free also describes our free and open nature – anyone will be able to read our work or republish it, with no barriers.
Press is the word that the Constitution uses to assign journalists an important role in democracy. It defines our mission as one of public service. We’re here to tell stories with a purpose: Helping Nebraska realize the best version of itself.
Flatwater Free Press is a publication of the Nebraska Journalism Trust
WHAT WE COVER
STATEWIDE »
Statewide means what it sounds like — stories as relevant in Valentine as they are in Nebraska City. These are issues that touch all of us. Think: the environment, legislative policy, universities and more. Nebraska news »
HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED »
For decades, traditional media has overlooked, well, a lot of people. We set out to do the opposite. One fourth of our stories should focus on black people, brown people, immigrants and our native communities. Read more »
METRO »
We can’t cover a state while ignoring its two largest metros. We leave space to tell stories about people, businesses and institutions in the metropolitan areas. We include metro suburbs in this category. Omaha and Lincoln news »
GREATER NEBRASKA »
We want to tell the stories of all the communities outside our metros, too. Whether they be plain old good yarns or long-term investigations, we’re committing a major part of our content mix to doing journalism throughout the state. News from across Nebraska »
Read Executive Director Matt Wynn’s column that helped launch Flatwater Free Press: We’re launching the next phase in Nebraska news. Here’s why Flatwater Free Press is crucial