The first thing you should know is that I hate talking about myself.
Icebreakers are my worst nightmare. Someone asked me to share a fun fact and suddenly I felt like the lamest person on the planet. I have two cats. I was obsessed with Doctor Who and met David Tennant. I’m from Illinois and I root for the Green Bay Packers because the Chicago Bears are terrible. Is this fun? Am I still having fun?
To be honest, the first thing I say in those situations is my job. I cover state government and politics for the USA TODAY Network’s Ohio bureau. The station is code for Ohio’s Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Enquirer and its sister newspapers’ state legislative team. I’ve been coming here for over 3 years now and I’ve never been bored.
You’ve probably seen my name in articles about the 2022 and 2024 Ohio Senate races, marijuana policy, and voting rights. I recently won an award for reporting on last year’s efforts to make it harder to amend the Ohio Constitution. He also writes a weekly newsletter called “The Scoop” and hosts the podcast “Ohio Politics Explained.”
There’s a lot of hate in the world of politics, but that’s probably not news to you. I take seriously my role in understanding how policy impacts people’s lives and providing context when politicians are dishonest. This doesn’t make me popular. Readers accuse me of being a hack for liberals and a piece of shit for Republicans. Someone once called me the “C” word, and it didn’t mean cool.
I don’t like to argue about myself, but I think it’s important for readers to know more about the journalists behind the news. we are humans. We may live in your neighborhood and shop at the same grocery store. We are all doing our best to be fair, think critically, and rise above the noise.
But how can you trust us if you don’t know us? Spoiler alert: many people don’t. A Reuters Institute study found that the younger people, without a college degree and lower income, tend to be more skeptical of news media. Just 43% of liberals, 42% of independents, and 45% of conservatives say they trust the news most of the time.
A lot of really smart people in our industry are trying to tackle this problem. Organizations like Trusting News provide journalists with tools to build trust within their communities and increase transparency in the reporting process. I have done several fellowships with this group, which is one of the reasons why our State Legislature Bureau has published an FAQ explaining what we cover and why.
So I’m here, trying to do my part.
Other things you should know about me: I came to Ohio by way of Wisconsin, where I reported on local government and politics and met another journalist who is now my fiancé. I spent two years investigating clergy abuse and created the most difficult but shocking story of my career. During graduate school, I covered the Illinois State Capitol. This is also a place where there is some knowledge about public corruption.
When she’s not working, you’re probably traveling, baking, or volunteering at Columbus Humane. I love going to museums and watching live theater. I take “Love is Blind” too seriously. I went through an emo phase in middle school that never ended.
Have questions? Feedback? What’s your bread recipe? Contact us anytime at hbemiller@gannett.com. Like Daredevil, I’m just trying to make my city and state a better place.
Haley Bimiller is a reporter for USA TODAY Network’s Ohio bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.
