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
Cook County Board of Commissioners Cook County Commission on Social Innovation [remote]
Live-tweeting by
Natalie Frank
Cook County Land Bank Authority CCLBA Land Transactions Committee [remote]
Live-tweeting by
Natalie Frank
Chicago
Utilities
March 16, 2023
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago Board of Commissioners [remote or in person]
Notetaking by
Makala Bach
Chicago
Parks
March 15, 2023
Chicago
Parks
March 15, 2023
Chicago
Transportation
March 16, 2023
Chicago
Transportation
March 16, 2023
Cook County Board of Commissioners Board of Commissioners [remote]
Live-tweeting by
Pachina Fletcher
Chicago
Politics
March 15, 2023
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.