People-powered news on your local government.
Who we are
A network of newsrooms and community organizations committed to participatory civic media.
What we do
We train and pay hundreds of people to attend under-reported public meetings and publish the results.
We’re building a new public record
Your elected officials are making big decisions. Keep tabs with original notes, live-tweet threads and multimedia reports from Documenters in your area—updated daily
Detroit
Transportation
Jan. 8, 2025
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) SMART, Sounding Board
Notetaking by
Lauren Ridenour
Grand Rapids
Development
Jan. 8, 2025
Grand Rapids Southtown Corridor Improvement Authority Southtown Corridor Improvement Authority
Audio by
Shannon Tanis
Akron
Politics
Jan. 8, 2025
Cleveland
Health
Jan. 10, 2025
Mental Health Response Advisory Committee (MHRAC) Mental Health Response Advisory Committee (MHRAC) Meeting
Notetaking by
Ava Carubia
Detroit
Criminal Justice
Jan. 9, 2025
Detroit Board of Police Commissioners Board of Police Commissioners, Evening Community Meeting
Notetaking by
Sandi Nelson
Wichita City - Metropolitan Area Planning Commission Metropolitan Area Planning Commission - Wichita-Sedgwick County Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting
Notetaking by
Bill Hoag
Omaha Public Schools Board of Education Omaha Public Schools Board of Education
Notetaking by
Meagan Morris
Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network DWIHN, Program Compliance Committee
Live reporting by
Detroit
Criminal Justice
Jan. 9, 2025
Detroit Board of Police Commissioners Board of Police Commissioners, Evening Community Meeting
Live reporting by
What our network is saying
Get involved in our community of practice.
A unique civic education
“How are your tax dollars spent? What are your elected officials doing? Are they listening to you? What is the process? That, as a Documenter, is what you have to show people.”
Susan Carlotta Ellis
Community reporting
“In almost every case for a meeting that I’ve covered, I’ve been the only person connected to the media that has been in the room.”
David Palmer
Local connections
“I've learned from other Documenters… I’ve learned skills that helped me to not just be a better citizen but also inform the type of work that I want to do.”
Isabel Sophia Dieppa
About this project
How our public meeting coverage supports local reporting.
How our public meeting coverage tracks policy trends and public input.
How our training modules build civic knowledge and action.
How anyone can become a Documenter in one of our local programs.