The Land: In-depth local reporting
Help us provide critical coverage of Cleveland's neighborhoods and inner ring suburbs by building a website and hiring a diverse team of editors and writers.
Leader
Tammy Wise
Location
140 Public Square Cleveland, OH 44113
About the project
For over 10 years, resources for reporting in Cleveland have been drying up. The shrinking newsrooms and closures of several community papers have created a vast news and information gap in urban communities.
The Land is a local news startup that reports on Cleveland’s neighborhoods and inner-ring suburbs. We deliver in-depth stories that foster accountability, inform the community, and inspire people to take action.
Your generous donation will help us hire a diverse team of editors and writers to cover stories that aren't being told such as the digital divide, the impact of budget cuts on school districts, how food pantries are stepping up distribution efforts, profiles of frontline social service workers, community efforts to respond to Covid-19, and more
In May, The Land launched a newsletter with nearly 5,000 subscribers. We also built a website landing page (www.thelandcle.org) with stories on important community issues as well as highlights from other local media. Now we need your help to continue to build momentum.
The Steps
July 2020: Assign 2-4 stories weekly to reporters, complete website, solicit community input and feedback via reader survey
August 2020: Build asset map of Cleveland neighborhood and inner ring suburbs, improve website, expand team of writers
September 2020: Complete coverage and asset map, analyze metrics to build editorial calendar, evaluate success with community advisory committee
Why we‘re doing it
We’re passionate about using local journalism to strengthen Cleveland’s civic news ecosystem. By lifting the voices of people underrepresented in the local media and examining real problems and solutions, we hope to create a more engaged and informed community. It’s urgent we begin to tell the stories that aren’t being told now, because democracy and local news are intertwined.