Kansas City deserves a clearer view of how public policy decisions get made, and The Beacon is stepping in to fill that gap.
For years residents, journalists and civic leaders have all said our region needs more consistent and accessible information about what happens in public meetings. That’s why The Beacon has launched Kansas City’s Documenters program, a people-powered approach to civic accountability that has already changed how residents in other cities stay informed.
Kansas City Documenters, hosted by The Beacon and originally created by our partners at City Bureau in Chicago, is training and paying community members to take fact-checked notes at public meetings in Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri. Our goals are to strengthen local government accountability, ensure decisions being made reach the communities most impacted by them and create connections between residents, institutions and newsrooms across the region.
Earlier this month, we marked a major milestone by training our first group of Documenters. The Beacon hosted training sessions at the North-East Branch of the Kansas City Public Library, the Kansas City, Kansas Main Library and on Zoom. In total, 59 community members completed the training and are now eligible to take on paid assignments documenting public meetings.
Listening first, rooted in community
Because this program is for Kansas City, it’s important that it is designed by Kansas City…