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
Chicago
Health
Sept. 25, 2024
Chicago Department of Public Health [remote or in-person] Chicago Board of Health
Notetaking by
Anson Tong
Chicago
Health
Sept. 25, 2024
Chicago Department of Public Health [remote or in-person] Chicago Board of Health
Live reporting by
Chicago City Council [remote or in-person] Committee on Housing and Real Estate
Notetaking by
Daniel Wolk
Chicago
Politics
Sept. 18, 2024
Chicago
Politics
Sept. 18, 2024
Cook County Board of Commissioners [remote or in-person] Technology and Innovation Committee
Notetaking by
Chicago
Housing
Sept. 18, 2024
Cook County Board of Commissioners [remote or in-person] Workforce, Housing & Community Development Committee
Live reporting by
Morley Musick
Chicago
Development
Sept. 17, 2024
Chicago City Council [remote or in-person] Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards
Live reporting by
Kerry Snider
Chicago
Criminal Justice
Sept. 18, 2024
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability [in-person] 2025 CPD Budget Town Hall
Live reporting by
Ebony Ellis
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.