Investigate Midwest has named Mc Nelly Torres its editor-in-chief following a search for its next newsroom leader.
An award-winning investigative journalist, Torres brings extensive experience leading investigative teams, mentoring journalists and producing reporting that holds powerful institutions accountable.
“For the past couple of months, Mc Nelly has served as interim editor of Investigate Midwest while we conducted a search for our next editor-in-chief,” said Erin Orr, executive director. “As it turns out, the right person for the job was already part of our team. I’m thrilled Mc Nelly is joining us full time, and I look forward to working alongside her as a partner. With her leading the newsroom, I’m confident we’ll continue to elevate our journalism, take on ambitious reporting and keep punching above our weight.”
Torres previously served as an editor at the Center for Public Integrity, where she led an award-winning team investigating inequality. She was part of the team that produced “40 Acres and a Lie,” an investigation into the government’s failed promise of land to formerly enslaved people.
The collaboration between Public Integrity, Reveal and Mother Jones was a 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalist for explanatory reporting. Its honors include an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, a Philip Meyer Journalism Award and a national Edward R. Murrow Award.
“I’m humbled for this opportunity to lead and help amplify Investigate Midwest’s work, collaborate with local and global news organizations and audiences who care about the media’s role as a watchdog,” Torres said. “This is a critical time in journalism as Americans seek trustworthy information and transparency from institutions in an increasingly fractured media landscape.”
Torres co-founded the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting in 2010 and previously worked as an investigative producer at NBC6 in Miami. Her consumer reporting at the Sun-Sentinel earned state, regional and national awards and led to the arrest of a contractor.
Her career honors include an Emmy, national and regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and a Gracie Award. She was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ Hall of Fame in 2018 and received the Gwen Ifill Award in 2022.
You can reach Torres at mcnelly.torres@investigatemidwest.org.
