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
Criminal Justice
Feb. 1, 2025
Chicago Police District Councils [remote or in person] 14th Police District Council - Logan Square/Humboldt Park/Wicker Park
Notetaking by
Chicago
Criminal Justice
Feb. 1, 2025
Chicago Police District Councils [remote or in person] 14th Police District Council - Logan Square/Humboldt Park/Wicker Park
Live reporting by
Betsy Johnson
Chicago
Criminal Justice
Jan. 30, 2025
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability [remote or in-person] Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Live reporting by
Chicago
Criminal Justice
Jan. 30, 2025
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability [remote or in-person] Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability
Notetaking by
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability [remote or in person] Traffic Stops Listening Session
Notetaking by
Ariana Portalatin
Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability [remote or in person] Traffic Stops Listening Session
Live reporting by
Chitra Iyer
Chicago
Utilities
Jan. 23, 2025
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago [remote or in-person] Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
Notetaking by
Chicago Police District Councils [remote or in person] 24th Police District Council - Rogers Park/West Ridge/Edgewater Glen
Notetaking by
Renea Goddard
Chicago
Criminal Justice
Jan. 16, 2025
Chicago Police District Councils [in person] Chicago Police District Council 008 Regular Meeting
Notetaking 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.