Keeping tabs on community decision makers is an essential part of a local reporter’s job. Many of us have published stories about school board meetings that stretched deep into the night, or angry residents denouncing the latest housing project before a planning and zoning commission. We’ve unearthed important contracts and controversial new ordinances tucked away in the consent calendars of city council agendas.
Unfortunately, as newsrooms shrink and news deserts expand, a growing number of decisions that affect the local community are made in the dark.
In our new partnership project, Big Local News and the Reynolds Journalism Institute will make Agenda Watch a full-featured platform for journalists, one that provides the ability to research past agendas and minutes as well as subscribe to alerts based on topics and keywords relevant to a reporter’s beat.