Tracey Compton

Tracey Compton is the Indianapolis Public Editor. This role is an 18-month pilot project to test whether the existence of a news liaison who is loyal to the audience, yet has a professional relationship with the newsrooms that serve the community, can improve media literacy and the quality of journalism.

Tracey has experience on both sides of the media fence, working in newsrooms and communications offices. Prior to joining Poynter, Tracey was the senior media and communications coordinator for global humanitarian aid organization, Mercy Corps. As a reporter, she’s covered breaking news, K-12 and higher education, city government and the military at Sound Publishing in the Pacific Northwest and the St. Cloud Times in Minnesota. Her internships include The Seattle Times, KING-5 News, The Oakland Tribune and KUOW, the Seattle-based NPR affiliate.

She is a graduate of the University of Washington in Seattle, where she earned degrees in journalism and political science. Tracey currently lives in Indianapolis and when not immersed in a book, you can find her volunteering in Indy at her favorite local food justice project or therapeutic horseback riding center outside city limits.