The Mississippi Free Press’s aim is to bring solutions-based journalism to our readers. That means telling the stories of Mississippians from all over the state—from Jackson to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to the Delta and everything in between. Our efforts are impossible without your support, whether you read our stories, share them or provide a generous donation.
The year 2025 was perhaps our most newsworthy yet. Our newsroom was able to cut through the noise and provide the available facts on the death of Delta State University student Trey Reed as well as the story of Kasper Eriksen, a father living in Sturgis, Mississippi, whom ICE detained. We were able to explain the various ways the Trump administration’s actions in its first year of his second term have affected Mississippi. The year culminated with special election coverage that saw Democrats claim three seats in the Mississippi Legislature, breaking the Republican Party’s supermajority in the Senate.
Below, we have assembled our 12 most-read topics of the year. We thank you for your support in 2025 and we look forward to providing you more of the coverage you’ve come to expect in 2026.
12. Mississippi Schools Reeling as Trump Admin Revokes $137 Million
by Torsheta Jackson
When the federal government revoked COVID-relief funds allocated to Mississippi school districts, leaving them scrambling and confused, the Mississippi Free Press made sure to center the voices of the educators and administrators worried about increased class sizes, the inability to complete planned programs and stalled construction projects. Read the story here.
11. Banned Ex-Mississippi Judge Runs for Congress in Georgia
by Heather Harrison
Mississippi Free Press reporter Heather Harrison wrote about former Mississippi attorney Carlos Moore’s announcement to run for Georgia’s 13th Congressional District less than a year after the Mississippi Supreme Court permanently banned him from serving as a judge in the state. Read the story here.
10. Mississippi Baby Dies of Whooping Cough Amid Rising Cases
by Heather Harrison
In a story that later led our newsroom’s first official news video, MFP reporter Heather Harrison went beyond the press release to explore the significance of the state’s first whooping cough death in 13 years. Harrison explained the disease, how it spreads and how it affects infants while sharing Mississippi State Health Officer Dan Edney’s recommendations for avoiding the illness. Read the story here.
9. Federal Employees Told to Report Coworkers in Anti-DEI Effort
by Ashton Pittman
MFP News Editor Ashton Pittman spoke with at least one federal employee who described being “shocked and chilled to (her) core” after receiving an email directing them to turn in coworkers thought to be working against efforts to find and cancel DEI programs. Pittman’s reporting looks at the real consequences for the civil rights and liberties of federal workers. Read the story here.
8. Mississippi House Votes to Eliminate State Income Tax
by Heather Harrison
The Mississippi Free Press looked in depth at what the bill to eliminate the state income tax would really mean for Mississippi residents—including how residents would see the effects of the bill in their pocketbooks—and presented the voices of those opposing the measure. Read the story here.
7. Mississippi HBCU Band Plans to March in Trump’s Inauguration
by Torsheta Jackson
Mississippi Valley State University marching band’s decision to participate in President Trump’s 2025 inaugural parade prompted criticism within the university’s community. MFP reporter Torsheta Jackson examined why some alumni and national leaders viewed the decision as contradictory to the mission and legacy of HBCUs. Read the story here.
6. Meridian Elementary Teacher Jamal Roberts Wins American Idol
by Roger D. Amos
During this year’s American Idol competition, Mississippians watched each week with bated breath as Meridian native, Jamal Roberts, sang his heart out. Mississippi Free Press reporter Roger Amos followed Roberts’ journey and met the legend when he returned to celebrate with his community. MFP went deeper than Roberts’ win, highlighting the importance of his win for his students and the local community and how his single “Mississippi” expressed his love for his home state. Read the story and don’t miss the follow-up.
5. Mississippi Holiday Honors Those Who Died Defending Slavery
by Ashton Pittman
In his story on Confederate Memorial Day, News Editor Ashton Pittman situates the holiday in its historical, political and racial context, explicitly identifying who and what the holiday honors and highlighting legislators’ failed efforts to halt the commemoration. Read the story here.
4. Immigrant Bounty Hunter Bill Unlikely to Pass, Experts Say
by Illan Ireland and Nick Judin
The Mississippi Free Press took a deeper look at this widely reported story, adding insights from immigration attorneys who explained the legal and constitutional issues with the bill and reporting that bounty hunters, more commonly known as bail-enforcement agents, had not been consulted in the creation of the bill. Most importantly, the MFP highlighted the concerns of the immigration advocacy community, which serves those whom the law would have most affected. MFP followed this reporting with another story that emphasized what the bill’s introduction meant for the people of the state. Read the initial story here.
3. Mississippi Democrats Break Republican Senate Supermajority: ‘We Are a Battleground State’
by Ashton Pittman and Heather Harrison
Mississippi Democrats broke a long-standing Republican Senate Supermajority, and the Mississippi Free Press coverage examined what it meant for legislative power in the state. MFP also explained how a federal court redistricting mandate tied to the Voting Rights Act contributed to the flip. Read MFP’s coverage here and here, as well as election results from across the state.
2. ICE Arrests Mississippi Father at His Citizenship Hearing
by Nick Judin
When many outlets chose to just give the facts, Mississippi Free Press’ Nick Judin focused heavily on the personal story of Kasper Eriksen, whose mistake of missing a paperwork deadline prompted his detention during an appointment for what he thought would be a final step toward U.S. citizenship. Judin’s story shares the family’s experience, underscoring the emotional burden the arrest had on his wife and children waiting at home. Read the story here.
1. Timeline: Trey Reed’s Hanging Death at Delta State University
by Nick Judin, Kevin Edwards, and Ashton Pittman
When authorities found Delta State University student Trey Reed hanging from a tree on campus, rumors swirled. Reports spread that the death was a racially motivated lynching or homicide, while other unverified claims said that a private autopsy revealed additional injuries to the body. However, the Mississippi Free Press stuck straight to the facts during a series of investigative stories that followed the incident. Read our coverage of Trey Reed’s death here.