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University-led News Lab outlines Documenters pilot to expand civic reporting
Summary
Students and local journalists presented News Lab's research on local news gaps and a pilot Documenters program to train and pay residents to report on meetings and events; the group seeks community partners and local support.
Students from the University of Evansville and partners presented an update on News Lab, a civic journalism initiative focused on local reporting, and outlined plans to launch a Documenters pilot program in Evansville.
Presenters Chloe Campbell, Emily Palmasano and Rashida Ajabadi described two years of research including surveys, focus groups and listening sessions that identified gaps in local news coverage, difficulties in following ongoing stories and a shortage of non-English news resources. Their quantitative work included a survey of 222 respondents; about 40% said they engage with local news daily while about 25% said they rarely or never do.
The Documenters program — modeled on an initiative by City Bureau in Chicago and coordinated locally by Our Times and News Lab partners — will recruit, train and pay community members to attend and report on public meetings (city council, boards, neighborhood associations) and community events. Documenters can take notes, photographs, live-post or produce short, edited meeting summaries that News Lab will fact-check and publish with an emphasis on accessibility and, where possible, non-English translation.
Organizers said funding from Press Forward and the Lumina Foundation will support initial training and newsroom capacity-building at Our Times, and the pilot aims to start in May with four to five community members. The presenters emphasized workforce development, youth engagement, and the potential to grow civic journalism in Evansville. They invited council members to participate in future listening sessions and to scan a QR code provided to sign up as supporters.
Council members responded positively and expressed interest in partnering for listening sessions and outreach. The presenters said a more detailed pilot plan and training materials had been prepared and that wider community sessions (including youth and immigrant groups) will follow.
