City Bureau’s Documenters Network: People-powered news and information

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.
The Future is Informed
Your elected officials are making big decisions. Keep tabs with regular notes, real-time social media updates, and multimedia reports from Documenters in your area. Together, we’re building a new public record.
San Diego
Education
May 2, 2025
County of San Diego- Boards and Commissions Commission on the Status Of Women And Girls- Commission Meeting
Notetaking by
Laura Paláu
Columbia Gorge
Development
May 6, 2025
Detroit
Transportation
May 15, 2025
Detroit Department of Transportation DDOT, Virtual Community Input Meeting
Live reporting by
Chicago
Criminal Justice
April 16, 2025
Chicago Police District Councils [in person] Police District Council 007 - Englewood (Gage Park, Auburn Gresham, Chicago Lawn, Englewood, Greater Grand Crossing, West Englewood)
Live reporting by
Maureen Dunne
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability [remote or in person] Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Notetaking by
Jacqueline Thomas
Chicago
Criminal Justice
April 30, 2025
Chicago Police District Councils [in person] 9th Police District Council - Deering (New City, Gage Park, Near South Side, South Lawndale, Bridgeport, Mckinley Park, Fuller Park, West Englewood, Englewood, Brighton Park, Douglas, Armour Square, and Lower West Side)
Notetaking by
Eli Gillespie
Democracy is What You Do
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 City Bureau’s Documenters Network
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.