Chicago-based journalism lab City Bureau wants to raise $10,000 by the end of August to create a “public newsroom.”
It’s asking 1,000 donors to give $10 each, seeking small donations from many people because inclusive coverage requires an inclusive funding model, according to the campaign’s Kickstarter page. “Our public newsroom will be an open space where people can gather to discuss local issues, share resources and knowledge, and receive journalism training,” the page says.
City Bureau trains journalists of diverse backgrounds to provide a fuller picture of communities that it says typically receive one-dimensional coverage, such as the South and West Sides of the city. Through partnerships with major media outlets, City Bureau journalists have contributed to the Chicago Reader, Guardian US, DNAInfo and other outlets.
The money raised will be used for stipends for City Bureau’s reporters, equipment for a newsroom on Chicago’s South Side, recording gear, and regular events to invite the community into the newsroom.
City Bureau’s Public Newsroom and Community Documenters program will …
- Create and equip a newsroom on Chicago’s South Side for community members and journalists to learn skills and share ideas
- Expand community-level news coverage of pressing issues, such as lead testing in Chicago Public Schools and the ongoing Department of Justice investigation of the Chicago Police Department
- Show that civic journalism, the kind that gets citizens involved and makes people proud to live in their communities, can be supported by people like you.