DETROIT — The Detroit Journalism Cooperative, a collaborative formed by five nonprofit media outlets to focus on community life and the city’s future after bankruptcy, will provide fact-based reporting from trusted sources and opportunities for citizen engagement.

The DJC includes Bridge Magazine, Detroit Public Television (DPTV), Michigan Radio, WDET and New Michigan Media, a partnership of ethnic and minority newspapers. Members met Tuesday, June 16 at the Bayview Yacht Club. 

New Michigan Media members include the Detroit Jewish News, The Arab American News, the Latino Press, the Michigan Citizen and the Michigan Korean Weekly. 

The DJC is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Renaissance Journalism’s Michigan Reporting Initiative and the Ford Foundation. 

The ethnic and minority media outlets involved in the DJC will bring stories about diverse communities that the mainstream media often ignores.

“How do you make a good analysis of what is going on in Detroit?” asked Jean Ross, program officer with the Ford Foundation. “It is through journalists. Now that the city is emerging from bankruptcy— how do we make sure that the stories of diverse neighborhoods in Detroit are told.”

For decades, small Arab and Chaldean American business owners have been the backbone of Detroit’s economy. The Arab American News previously published stories about small businesses owners in the city being ticketed repeatedly for the same offense. The Arab American News’ publisher discussed the issue at the meeting with DJC members this week and Michigan Radio is working on a piece about it. 

Georgeann Herbert, who is in charge of content and community engagement at Detroit Public TV, said she hopes the DJC concentrates on the environmental issues in Wayne County. That includes how climate change is expected to impact the region. 

DJC members said they hope their reporting helps solve some of Detroit’s issues and gain national attention. 

“We have to make these stories interesting to people and use really great story telling,” said Tamar Charney of Michigan Radio. 

For more information on the DJC, visit Detroitjournalismcoopertive.com.