For instance, I saw a reader call us on Facebook the “Black Journal Star”. Some readers outside of the South Side have also taken notice. So many community organizations have come together to coordinate and collaborate on community projects through the Journal Star’s monthly meetings.” Sherry Cannon, a community advocate who works for Hope Renewed Youth Conference and the Elite Youth Outreach Program, said that “one of the greatest benefits has been the networking opportunities. They said in their interviews the year before, many people on Peoria’s South Side had little good to say about the Journal Star, but they were now hearing nothing but good things about the Journal Star’s coverage and involvement in the community. The Network is working with Peoria on a Strong Cities initiative, which partners with communities trying to rebound from major economic challenges by helping them to determine and implement solutions to guide them toward economic recovery and growth.ĭuring the meeting, the Network leaders said they wanted to meet us because in their years of working with cities, they’d never seen such a reversal in the perception of the local newspaper. Last summer, a colleague and I were invited to meet at Peoria city hall with leaders of Washington DC-based National Resource Network. The series won a first-place national award this year from the Associated Press Media Editors for Community Engagement.Īnd in February, we published a special section called South Side Gems, highlighting neighborhood features Peoria residents should consider exploring. The series – City of Disparity – included examinations of healthcare, housing, education, employment, the judicial system and what’s next for Peoria. Throughout 2016, we produced a series of in-depth articles about the inequities facing Peoria’s black population. We also have a Facebook group (Journal Star Readers) and our email distribution list includes more than 100 people.Īs a result, the Journal Star’s coverage of the South Side went beyond the routine and feelgood stories. Our meetings attract between one and two dozen people, from community and social service leaders to private citizens wanting to share a story.
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