Today marks the official launch of the Detroit Journalism Cooperative, an unprecedented collaboration among some of Michigan’s most trusted nonprofit media organizations.
David Zeman writes in Bridge magazine that for the next year, and hopefully beyond, Bridge and its four partners will perform the unnatural act of working together – rather than in competition. The mission: to share data-driven, solutions-based journalism that deepens public understanding of Detroit’s journey through bankruptcy and engages residents in the revival of this once-powerful city.
A grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation allows Bridge and its nonprofit partners at WDET, Michigan Radio, Detroit Public TV and New Michigan Media to pool resources and expertise to go beyond the daily coverage and offer insights on Detroit’s future. (A separate grant from Renaissance Journalism’s Michigan Reporting Initiative and the Ford Foundation allows these same nonprofits to collaborate on statewide issues, including ongoing reporting on Michigan’s emergency manager law.)
In today’s report, Bridge establishes benchmarks that we will return to in the months ahead to chart Detroit’s progress and hold public officials accountable. Going forward, we aim to be an indispensable resource for the people of Detroit – who have endured years of mismanagement and broken promises – and residents across Michigan, who sometimes question how their lives and communities, and tax dollars, are tied to the fate of the state’s largest city.
Click here for Bridge's description of benchmarks for categories in coverage of how Detroit emerges from bankruptcy.
