October 23, 2023

After what was likely the most contested election for member representative seats on the INN Board of Directors, two candidates broke through the pool of 17 to win three-year terms on the board: John Adams, the executive director and editor-in-chief of Montana Free Press, and Carla Minet, the executive director of Centro de Periodismo Investigativo. 

More member newsrooms voted than ever before, reflecting not only the increased number of newsrooms in the INN Network but also increased participation as a percentage of the membership. 

This year’s election ran somewhat differently than in the past, because INN’s Board of Directors made changes to provide the membership with more context for considering each candidate. This took the form of two endorsements from another member leader for each candidate on the ballot and a selection of six candidates “recommended” by the board. The six recommended candidates were the top vote-getters. 

Adams was endorsed by Wendi Thomas, Editor & Publisher at MLK50, and Shamus Toomey, Publisher & Co-Founder at Block Club Chicago, who called Adams “the perfect candidate to join the INN board because he has 360-degree view of what it takes to launch and lead a nonprofit newsroom no matter the headwinds.”

Prior to launching Montana Free Press, Adams served as the Capitol Bureau Chief of the Great Falls Tribune and was a correspondent for USA TODAY. His groundbreaking reporting on the influence of dark money in Montana political elections was the subject of the acclaimed 2018 documentary film, Dark Money, which was shortlisted for the Oscars and received critical acclaim for its exploration of the corrupting influence of untraceable corporate spending in elections. In 2020, Dark Money was awarded the Alfred I duPont Columbia Award.

In his candidate statement, Adams said, “I have a keen understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing nonprofit newsrooms, from the largest, regional and national outlets, to the smallest hyper-local organizations. I would continue to build on existing relationships and expand my network in order to give a voice to all.”

Minet was endorsed by Mazin Sidahmed, Co-Executive Director at Documented and Paul Cheung, CEO at Center for Public Integrity. Sidahmed praised Minet for building Centro de Periodismo Investigativo into “one of the fiercest and most consequential news outlets in this hemisphere, while intentionally growing it as a sustainable business.”

Minet comes to the INN board with 25 years of experience as a reporter, editor and producer for radio, TV, print and digital in addition to her executive role. She is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and serves on the board of the News Leaders Association (NLA). 

Minet noted her experience leading “a Latin, women-led, bilingual news outlet” and promising to bring that perspective to INN’s work to expand DEI across the nonprofit news sector.  

Adams and Minet will begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2024.

Individuals elected by the membership to represent their interests on the INN board form about half of the board; the other individuals are appointed by the entire board for their commitment to investigative journalism and//or because they bring broader expertise to help INN achieve its mission. 

Learn more about this year’s election.