In May, Justin Baxley was one of several dozen presenters at a closing summit for the Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship. Like the others, he’d worked on an innovation project, something meant to improve a journalist’s newsroom, community or simply create great content that could move the needle on readership or viewership.
When Baxley presented his innovation project, titled More Than A Number, it became clear that the project was very, very personal. The project aimed to make it easier and more humane for families of homicide victims to engage with local media. Some in the room who didn’t know the project’s origin were stunned when they found out Baxley’s motivation: In 2017, his father Michael Baxley was murdered in his home. The last slide of the presentation included a photo of Michael Baxter holding his young son, Justin, in his arms.
