Staff change, our commitment to Detroit

There aren’t many reporters who can make the intricacies of city government both understandable and meaningful to everyday residents. For four years at BridgeDetroit, Malachi Barrett has done exactly that.

Now he’s preparing for a different kind of public service.

Malachi has left BridgeDetroit to pursue a longtime dream of becoming a Detroit firefighter. While we’re sad to see him go, we’re incredibly proud of the work he’s done here — and grateful for the role he’s played in helping Detroiters better understand their city government.

Malachi joined BridgeDetroit in 2022 and quickly became a central voice in our coverage of City Hall. Reporting on government can often feel distant or abstract, but Malachi always approached the beat with a clear sense of who it was really for: Detroit residents.

He asked hard questions in City Council meetings, dug into complicated policy decisions and development deals, and consistently focused on how those decisions affected people across the city’s neighborhoods. His reporting helped readers understand not just what was happening at City Hall, but why it mattered.

He did this work during an especially consequential period for Detroit. In 2025, the city elected a new mayor and an entirely new City Council and Board of Police Commissioners — a generational shift in leadership. Malachi helped guide readers through that transition with clarity, fairness and persistence.

For those of us who worked alongside him, Malachi was also a thoughtful colleague and a steady presence in the newsroom. He brought curiosity to every story and a deep commitment to the public service mission of local journalism.

That same commitment is what’s leading him to his next chapter.

While the journalism field will certainly miss his voice, Detroit will continue to benefit from his dedication to serving the city and its residents.

At BridgeDetroit, our mission remains the same: to ensure Detroiters have clear, trustworthy information about how their city works and the decisions that shape their lives. City government coverage is a cornerstone of that mission, and it’s especially critical as Detroit enters this new political era.

In the coming months, we will continue to lead deep coverage of City Hall, including the new mayor’s administration, City Council and the policies that affect neighborhoods across Detroit. That includes continuing to send the Detroit City Notebook newsletter twice per week. We’ll be transparent with you during this period of transition, and we will continue to seek feedback from readers and members to ensure we are representing your needs. 

During this time, we will rely on the expertise and skill of Managing Editor Christine Ferretti, who has covered the city of Detroit either as a reporter or editor for more than 14 years. Her deep knowledge of the mayor’s administration, City Council and the day-to-day workings of Detroit will continue to be a boon to our staff and those who read our content. We will also lean into existing partnerships we have with other news organizations in town, including the Detroit Free Press, which shares a reporter with us in Nushrat Rahman. And we will also bring in other writers and voices when appropriate to ensure we are maintaining the quality of the work. 

All of this is to say: Malachi helped set a high standard for covering city government and we will make sure that continues. 

While we’ll miss him in the newsroom, we’re grateful for everything he contributed to BridgeDetroit and to the residents who rely on our reporting.

And like many Detroiters, we’ll be rooting for him in this next chapter of service to the city.