Ideas to balance info needs with accountability

We build and redistribute the tools of transparency and journalism for everyone so communities can be informed and engaged around the issues that matter most where they live.

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EDITOR'S DESK

How are you holding up? I truly hope that you, those you love, and your community are weathering the impacts of the coronavirus. It is devastating. I report from Detroit, where this pandemic has hit hard and viciously.

We are still working, and thankful for it. We are balancing our efforts between covering the immediate and not losing sight of our core reporting focuses. On one hand, we are prioritizing meeting the critical information needs local communities across the country. On the other, we are continuing the investigative and accountability work of how utilities, police, government surveillance, prisons and immigration detention centers are responding to this crisis.

Whatever project you are still working on if our tools or expertise could be useful let us know. As always, I'm at sarah@outliermedia.org and let's keep taking care of each other.

MUCKROCK REPORTS

We built a textbot to find out what info Detroiters need to survive the COVID-19 crisis and then developed a news service to fill those needs.

SPOTLIGHT

In Detroit, as will be the case in other communities across the country, coronavirus is adding pressure to an already taxed social safety net. Many Detroiters don't have access to remote work, extra cash or even basic utilities. We needed to find a way to quickly assess how their information needs have changed and what info we could get to those disconnected from a local news source during the coronavirus pandemic.

THE PROBLEM

Because at least half of Detroiters do not use the internet at home we used a text message-based survey to assess info needs on March 17th. We asked people to text the word "corona" to our shortcode to take our survey and paid them for participating. There were only 7 questions, like the following: "Think about the week ahead. What info do you need that you don't have now? What do you need to meet your challenges? Share as many details as you'd like."

We also asked if there were rumors we could fact check for people, and even if anything was bringing them hope during this difficult time.

THE RESULTS

We heard back from more than 70 Detroiters in a matter of hours. "I work in fast food I have a toddler at home but I'm scared to go to work in fear of bringing it home. The cashier takes money that carries tons of germs," said one. Others asked if industrial workers are essential if it was true a curfew would be imposed, and of course, if they should take Advil or not. There were also tips from health care workers and pharmacists.

THE PRODUCT

We used those insights along with our own reporting to put together a text message-based news service. Beginning tomorrow any Detroiter will be able to access, for free, info that answers common questions around food pantries, jobs, money, debt, health, safety, kids, schools and housing.

This isn't a brochure. We've reported out the info we are sharing and asking users to tell us when services and promises fall short. For example, after info about how to avoid utility shut off our message reads, "If you have another debt you can't pay but payment is still being demanded, tell us about it here. We will follow up with you within 48 hours."

With the help of our collaborators across Detroit news organizations, we will be able to follow up with everyone, answer their questions and discover which important stories are not yet being reported.

MuckRock is a nonprofit collaborative news site giving you the tools to keep our government transparent and accountable. Support MuckRock with a donation to help us fight for transparency and truth!

WHAT WE'RE READING

▶ Tracking the spread: How a data scientist and a couple journalists built a COVID-19 tracker that’s become a more accurate source of up-to-date statistics than the CDC. (Columbia Journalism Review)

▶ It's not easy to FOIA the Supreme Court, but not impossible: By requesting documents from public entities that interact with the Supreme Court the folks at Fix the Court were able to find justices were accepting expensive perks ( Fix the Court).

HOW WE DATA

Data reporter Katlyn Alo is compiling a repository of state and local emergency orders related to COVID-19 that will soon be open to journalists. If you'd like to participate reach out to katlyn@outliermedia.org

ACTION ITEMS

Help senior reporter Beryl Lipton report how government surveillance is changing as police forces face officer shortages and the need to track who is carrying COVID-19 grows stronger.

Threats to accountability are appearing everywhere. Hundreds of jurisdictions have issued emergency orders, sent workers home who are usually tasked with answering questions from and on behalf of the pubic, and limited their responses to public records requests.

We are also seeing the destabilization of workforces across the country. Multiple police forces have already been facing understaffing, illness, and death and law enforcement will look for ways to manage with fewer officers and the health risks of patrol and response.

Surveillance and privacy have always been two sides to the same coin, but technology that might have been deemed a threat to civil liberties in calmer times is finding opportunity in our crisis. While government and medicine try to contain and track the spread of the coronavirus, the tools du jour of the surveillance state are repositioning.

Cell phone location data, which cities use to plan transportation routes, are also being put to use to map the individual spread of the disease. Facial recognition companies like Clearview AI have been approaching public health departments with proposals for their tech to work tracking individuals with the disease and the others they may have encountered. Private companies will continue to explore ways their tools could win customers in this time.

So, vigilance is the word of the day. We’re working to stay aware of what’s unfolding. We’re also planning for the future when we’ll need to wrest these emergency measures from the powers-that-be wielding them now. And it’s an effort that will need your help. If you have heard of a new surveillance tool or technique being used, please let us know. -BL

Can't get enough of public records reporting? Have a pressing question about what officials in your local government are up to? Use our guides to answer common FOIA questions and keep filing!

Use our simple tool to generate public records requests with all the necessary legal boilerplate; track the progress of your requests and access an extensive database of jurisdictions and government agencies to find out where, and how, to send your request.

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