THE INDEX-JOURNAL

My role and the newspaper's legacy

As the government/investigative reporter for the Index-Journal, I keep readers informed about city and county governments throughout the region. My work spans a range of topics from state-level legislation to local municipal issues, ensuring our communities stay engaged and aware.

As a staff writer, I’m committed to delivering compelling and impactful stories. I cover everything from nonprofit events and feature profiles to economic development, elections, and hard-hitting investigative news.

The Index-Journal has been family-owned in Greenwood since its founding on February 6, 1919. Its original owner, Harry L. Watson, served as editor and publisher for more than 50 years. As the City of Greenwood has grown, so too has its newspaper, which remains deeply rooted in the community’s history.

Today, the Index-Journal covers a wide range of local news, reporting on government, education, arts and entertainment, and sports across Greenwood, Abbeville, Laurens, and McCormick counties.

2025 SCPA Awards

Award-Winning Accountability Reporting

At the South Carolina Press Association’s 2025 News Contest, I was honored to receive recognition for three stories that reflect the kind of journalism I care most about: accountability reporting that helps communities get answers. Each of these stories required persistence: filing records requests, sitting through long meetings, reviewing documents line by line and listening closely to residents who knew something was wrong but needed help proving it.

That is the work I’m proudest of: journalism that asks for receipts, follows the evidence and gives communities the information they need to hold power accountable.

First Place: Investigative Reporting, All Daily Divisions

My eight-month investigation into the Town of Calhoun Falls, which examined financial mismanagement, public records, local government operations and residents’ ongoing calls for answers.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b3lxVYXPF3Af7gvFf2IwMBdhhReT5s5e/view?usp=sharing

Second Place: Reporting In-Depth

A ten-month in-depth look into South Carolina’s hate crime law gap, including an incident in Greenwood County, local advocacy, stalled statewide legislation and the communities pushing for stronger protections.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xe9ELnrpKq5dl3D0HDqbCkYclarxIiLA/view?usp=sharing

Honorable Mention: Jay Bender Award for Assertive Journalism, All Daily Divisions

Reporting on transparency and FOIA issues in the Town of Ninety Six, including unanswered public records requests, access to government documents and the public’s right to know. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ctYqBeyVESu5n2Xbc0tWBcBc2umKtn2Z/view?usp=sharing

Downloadable reports

At the Index-Journal, I cover the stories that shape how residents understand their communities, from local government decisions and court cases to public records fights, criminal justice issues and human-interest features.

My reporting has examined South Carolina’s hate crime law gap, an eight-month investigation into financial mismanagement and governance failures in the Town of Calhoun Falls, and ongoing transparency and FOIA issues in the Town of Ninety Six. That work has included digging through audit reports, lawsuits, public records, council meetings and state investigative documents to help readers understand not just what happened, but why it matters.

I’ve also reported on a SLED investigation requested by Ninety Six Mayor Gregg Brown that was later closed as unfounded, as well as a traffic stop case that raised questions about roadside drug tests, delayed lab results and the consequences of presumptive evidence. My court and public safety coverage includes the Bud Ackerman murder trial, one of the region’s most high-profile criminal cases, along with breaking news and accountability reporting tied to law enforcement, local government and public safety.

Not every story is about conflict or controversy. I also write features about the people who give local journalism its heart, including veterans reflecting on 9/11, young residents giving back to their communities and neighbors working to make the Lakelands a better place.

Whether I’m following a paper trail, sitting through a council meeting, covering a trial or telling a story of community resilience, my goal is the same: to report with accuracy, context and humanity, and to give readers the information they need to understand what is happening around them.

News Renee's Way