MJ Slaby

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana, a nonprofit news organization covering education, especially equity and access issues.  

Originally from northern Indiana, she’s worked at newspapers across the state, largely covering education, including the Indianapolis Star, the Lafayette Journal & Courier, and the Bloomington Herald-Times. MJ also spent a summer living her childhood dreams when she covered the Indiana Fever for The Athletic.  

She’s also worked at the Knoxville News-Sentinel in Tennessee where she covered higher education and was part of the team that launched The Incline, a local news website in Pittsburgh, Pa. There, she wrote mostly about the tech scene and self-driving cars. 

MJ is passionate about education journalism, local news, finding new ways to reach readers, and mentoring young journalists. She is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington and a proud former Indiana Daily Student editor-in-chief. MJ first joined SPJ as a student and has been involved throughout her career including in Tennessee and Pennsylvania.  

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring Indianapolis, and cheering on IU and Notre Dame sports. She and her husband Dustin, a fellow journalist, live in Indianapolis with their pets Jordy the cat, and Maxine the beagle.