WDET Receives $76,000 to Continue the Detroit Documenters Project
WDET will expand the Detroit Documenters project which recruits, trains and pays citizens to participate in the news gathering process to contribute to a communal pool of knowledge.
WDET has received a $76,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan in partnership with City Bureau and Citizen Detroit to expand the Detroit Documenters pilot, a citizen and local media partnership that aims to increase awareness and coverage of Detroit’s public meetings.
In addition to WDET’s Documenters pilot nine journalism projects, representing collaborations of 18 Southeast Michigan organizations, will receive a share of $333,952 from the Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund. The Fund seeks to address civic concerns by supporting innovative approaches to local reporting and community engagement.
Led by a range of journalism organizations and community nonprofits, the projects focus on highlighting the stories of Detroit residents from all backgrounds, while creating more options for them to shape the local information landscape. They range from a race and justice reporting initiative that highlights issues affecting communities of color to workshops that advance citizen journalism. They all work to promote a better future for Detroit driven by and in partnership with residents, expanding the capacity and impact of those working to create positive change.
Learn more about the other grantees.
The Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund is funded by:
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.
The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For over 80 years it has worked with courageous people on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. For more, visit fordfoundation.org.
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is a full-service philanthropic organization leading the way to positive change in our region. As a permanent community endowment built by gifts from thousands of individuals and organizations, the Foundation supports a wide variety of activities benefiting education, arts and culture, health, human services, community development, and civic affairs. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $1 billion through more than 67,000 grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Livingston counties.
