Join the Experiment: Crowd-Funded Crime Reporting

Published October 01, 2009 @ 12:04PM PT

We're launching an exciting new joint project here on the change.org criminal justice blog, and we need your help. Together with spot.us, the crowd-funded journalism website, San Francisco's KALW public radio and the Harnisch Foundation, we're seeking to dig a bit deeper into the day-to-day grind of courts, crimes and jails to find out how this system impacts people's lives and how it can be improved.

Here's how it will work: we help KALW raise $1,000 to pay for the first round of coverage on spot.us (I wrote previously about why I'm a believer that crowd-funded reporting through platforms like spot.us can raise the level of criminal justice reporting around the world). The Harnisch Foundation has agreed to match that first $1,000. With this money, KALW can produce two stories, and during the process the reporters will post exclusive audio and video updates here at change.org.

But to make it happen, we need you to donate a few dollars. If you agree with me that we can't afford to lose this kind of reporting, please give $20 today to help make this experiment a reality.

KALW has pitched two stories as part of this project, but once it gets rolling, the sky is the limit. In the first story, a reporter will spend two weeks in the Oakland courts, bringing us the nitty gritty from a variety of perspectives - something that isn't normally possible for the mainstream media to do. The second story will focus on parolees and reentry into the community.

In this video at spot.us, KALW News Director Holly Kernan says: "We want to drill down into the criminal justice system, particularly in the places you don't normally see. Now, media generally are reactive, so if there's a big sensational case, they'll follow that case. But what we want to do is exactly the opposite, present these stories that might sound like a bureaucratic tale on the outside but when you really go inside, this is about people's lives, this is about life and death."

Sound good? Please donate $20 today to help make this project happen. I just did. We need just $750 more to get these stories started!

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Comments (4)

This is David Cohn from Spot.Us.

I just wanted to chime in and say how cool it is that Change.Org and the Change.org community can help us on this. And in the end - it will come right back to your community too - we want to make this information available to as many folks as possible because, like you, we believe it is a civic good to raise awareness about cops, courts and crime issues.

Posted by David Cohn on 10/01/2009 @ 03:24PM PT
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I would like to know what happened to the number one issue on change.org legalize cannabis? I have been everywhere on this site no mention anywhere?? I think this site was started out well but now it is too main stream hiding our issue...

CFJ

Posted by Cherokee Fred Jesus on 10/01/2009 @ 04:18PM PT
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I've thought for a number of years now that what's needed in the Court system was video coverage of the trial that could be archived. If something came up on a cold case or someone wanted to appeal, video would be able to be referenced.

We video Parliament Question time, we video speeding traffic (in the name of road safety, but it really is a 'set up the Motorist to fail' revenue scheme, run by the Dept of Justice here in Australia BTW) If they can run cameras for hours on end in traffic, they can video trials for transparency.

Maybe it's already happening, I try and stay out of the Courts.

Posted by Oceania OZ on 10/01/2009 @ 08:41PM PT
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I really wished I could get more people to read about the cruelty and disregard for rights for inmates. This is taking place in Patuxent Institution in Jessup, Maryland. This is suppose to be a model institution to help inmates with mental and health problems. The article :

Cruel & Unusual Punishment at the Patuxent Institution in Jessup, MD

can be read at http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-346580

And the petition can be signed at :

http://www.petition2congress.com/2/2534/citizens-against-cruel-unusual-punishment-at-patuxent-institution/

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/PATUXENT-INSTITUTION-POBOX700

Posted by Kathleen Ruiz on 11/09/2009 @ 10:23AM PT
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Author

Matt has worked and volunteered in various capacities in criminal justice reform for several years. When he's not blogging, he works as the Online Communications Manager at the Innocence Project. Views expressed here are Matt's, and don't represent the positions of the Innocence Project.