2019 was an incredible year for Your Voice Ohio, thanks to our supporters, community participants across the state, and organizations in our collaborative. We wanted to take a moment to celebrate what you helped us to accomplish:
- We hosted 11 conversations in Akron, Athens, and throughout Southwest Ohio to explore what community members were proud of, how they would improve their cities, and what kind of information they needed from journalists ahead of elections.
- In Green, Ohio, we hosted 3 community conversations where participants worked together to define the topics they thought were most important to discuss. In the last meeting, guided by earlier conversations, residents took a deep dive into how to embrace diversity and make the community a more welcoming and prosperous place for everyone.
- Journalist collaboration with community members and follow-up reporting was featured in stories by Nieman Lab, Groundsource, and Solutions Journalism.
- Your Voice Ohio was a finalist in the Local Category for the 2019 Civvy Awards! The awards recognize collaborative, creative efforts that inspire, unite and facilitate civic participation. Feedback from the review committee included, “What a wonderful program for journalists to rethink their local role and make a critical civic impact. Love seeing local papers see themselves as conveners.”
- We welcomed 10 new members, growing our network and increasing our impact across the state:
- Soapbox Cincinnati
- The Devil Strip
- Mahoning Matters
- Freshwater Cleveland
- The Athens News
- Logan Daily News
- Meigs Independent Press
- The Suburbanite
- Athens Messenger
- Vinton-Jackson Courier
Overall, you’ve helped strengthen our democracy and restore trust in journalism by helping individuals realize their potential to create change, supporting civic discussion, navigating local issues with your community, and helping regular people make their voice heard to leaders.
We’re excited to continue this work in 2020. Thank you for being part of this project!
