Mahoning Matters Kicks Off Digital News Launch

With the recent closing of Youngstown’s newspaper, The Vindicator, a new digital-only news platform is in full swing, bringing a new and innovative reporting approach to the Mahoning Valley.

Mahoning Matters, a digital news platform providing a “focus on vital topics that impact the daily lives of Mahoning Valley residents,” launched on Oct. 10.

A launch party was held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Youngstown Downtown hotel with officials from McClatchy Newspapers and Google and local members of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, along with friends and family.  

Mahoning Matters is composed of four journalists who each played a role at The Vindicator: Mark Sweetwood, digital news editor of Mahoning Matters and former managing editor at The Vindicator; Justin Dennis, known for reporting on local court and government beats; Jess Hardin, who previously worked at the U.S. Office of Special Counsel before her start at The Vindicator in 2018; and Jeremy Harper, former copy editor and page designer at The Vindicator. 

Mahoning Matters will take a deeper look into local topics with more in-depth and extensive reporting bases versus the day-to-day news operations.

Youngstown’s Mahoning Matters platform will serve as the first pedestal for The Compass Experiment’s digital-only news site project, with two new locations being selected in the next several months. 

For local news updates from Mahoning Matters, visit its website https://www.mahoningmatters.com