Detroit
Documenters
Outlier Media’s Documenters program trains and pays Detroiters to attend local public meetings and monitor our elected officials, in collaboration with local journalists. Join the Documenters network to get involved!
Get your weekly dose of Docs!
Keep an eye on local officials with the Detroit Documenters newsletter, bringing you highlights from public meetings, breakdowns of how local government works, reporting on civic life and plenty of ways to level up your skills and get involved.
Catch up on recent public meetings
More reporting
Documenters keep an eye on local officials
Reporters use Documenters’ notes as a resource in their own reporting, shedding light on issues affecting Detroiters and holding public officials accountable. Reporting on the Detroit Land Bank Authority selling homes without water connections, a proposal to spend $7 million in federal funds on ShotSpotter and a trolley service on Belle Isle have all started with Documenters’ first-hand coverage.
Other times, Documenters raise issues that are then directly addressed by the agencies themselves. Over the years we’ve contacted numerous officials to inform them of broken links, missing web pages, incorrect meeting information and even the lack of published City Council minutes online. Some fixes took more time than others, but in every case they’ve resulted in positive change.
We’re building a new public record
Stay informed
Each week, Detroit Documenters are paid to attend public meetings held by local government agencies. Documenters live-tweet and take notes on what happens, and their reporting is edited by journalists.
Detroit Documenters notes are available for anyone to read and for journalists to use in their work. (Try searching for an agency or topic you want to know more about.)
Become a Documenter
By creating a Detroit Documenters account, you’ll immediately be able to register for free workshops and connect with other Documenters across the network.
If you’re interested in covering local public meetings, attend one of our regularly scheduled orientations, and you’ll be certified to apply for paid assignments. Just register to get started.
The national Documenters network was founded by City Bureau in Chicago and includes newsrooms and community organizations committed to participatory civic media around the country. Outlier Media manages the Detroit Documenters program.
Get involved
“The engagement that I’ve witnessed since I started live-tweeting for @DetDocumenters a year and a half ago has grown from 10 public comments during formal session meetings to 50 on average.”
“Not only has the number of participants grown, but they’ve become more experienced and knowledgeable about the legislative process. I’ve certainly grown alongside them.”
—Documenter Kayleigh Lickliter
Stay connected to our community
Want to make sure you get the latest updates on Documenters events, trainings and reporting? Sign up for our newsletter:
The Detroit Documenters newsletter provides a weekly summary of news from recent Documenters’ coverage, while taking a deeper dive with expanded reporting on at least one topic of importance. We also look at questions raised in Documenters’ notes and tweets, and pick one each week to research and answer.
The newsletter also highlights fun and interesting ways to be civically engaged, get involved in local events, find job opportunities and more. Catch up on recent newsletters here.
You can also find us on X. Follow us to catch all of our live meeting coverage and more.
Meet the team
Noah Kincade, Detroit Documenters coordinator
Noah began his career as a sound engineer, mixing live concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the U.S. Now back in his home state of Michigan, he works as a field coordinator for Detroit Documenters, pursuing his interests in journalism and government. Noah lives on Detroit’s Eastside with his partner Melanie and their two feline boys.
Lynelle Herndon, Detroit Documenters coordinator
Lynelle is originally from Washington, DC and moved to Detroit in 2017. She started and runs Home Ec, a neighborhood garden on the westside of Detroit. Lynelle enjoys working as a Detroit Documenter coordinator because she thinks it is important for us to share our news in our voices with our networks.
Laura Herberg, civic life reporter
Laura is Outlier’s civic life reporter. She spent more than a decade on-air as a features reporter, podcast producer and fill-in anchor at WDET 101.9 FM, Detroit’s NPR station. She believes that journalism can shed light on local actions and decisions that might otherwise go under the radar.
Media partners
We’ve partnered with a team of local news outlets who not only help edit Documenters notes, but support and promote our program in countless ways. We are forever grateful for their numerous contributions.
Contact us
If you are interested in partnering with the Detroit Documenters or have another question, drop us a line at documenters@outliermedia.org.