About Us
Civic News Company is the parent organization of nonprofit newsrooms Chalkbeat, Votebeat, and Healthbeat. Education, elections, and public health are pillars of civic life, and we believe everyone deserves accurate, unbiased news coverage of how these civic issues are functioning within their communities. We believe the American story is best told locally: in communities, with communities, and for communities. Our work is part of a larger emerging movement of journalism that prioritizes community benefit instead of commercial gain; thinks of readers as community members, not consumers; and knows that our work is crucial to democracy.
At Civic News Company, high-impact journalism is at the core of what we do. We believe that local-first journalism, rooted in the places we cover, is critical to earning and maintaining our readers’ trust. Civic News Company journalists strive to develop subject matter expertise and produce work that brings issues alive for readers, allowing them to engage in informed debate and take action on issues that matter to them.
As an organization grounded in the values of equality and antiracism, we prioritize coverage of the key systems that shape this country and prioritize serving communities often neglected by traditional media. Our nonprofit newsroom is proud to be independent, always seeking the truth without consideration of profit or ideology, which we believe is crucial to fulfilling the promise of American democracy.
Our History
2008
GothamSchools launches as a project of OpenPlans., Led by Philissa Cramer and Elizabeth Green, GothamSchools providesing education coverage in New York City
2008
Alan Gottlieb launches EdNews Colorado with Todd Engdahl as a project of PEBC, focusing on Colorado schools and education policy
2012
GothamSchools merges with EdNews Colorado to form the Education News Network, made up of New York & Colorado bureaus
2013
Education News Network changes its name to Chalkbeat; Chalkbeat launches bureaus in Indiana & Tennessee
2016
Chalkbeat launches Detroit bureau
2018
Chalkbeat launches bureaus in Chicago & Newark
2019
Chalkbeat co-founder and CEO Elizabeth Green co-founds the American Journalism Project, the first venture philanthropy firm dedicated to local news
2020
Chalkbeat acquires the Philadelphia Public School Notebook, thereby launching Philadelphia bureau
2020
Chalkbeat team launches Votebeat as a pop-up newsroom covering local election administration in eight priority states, with partnership from existing local newsrooms; it runs from October, 2020 to January, 2021
2022
Votebeat launches as a permanent newsroom with bureaus in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, & Texas
2023
Civic News Company launches as an umbrella organization comprising Chalkbeat, Votebeat, and any future newsrooms to come
2023
Elizabeth Green co-authors Roadmap for Local News; Civic News Company leads the Roadmap’s development
2024
Votebeat launches Wisconsin bureau
2024
Healthbeat launches as Civic News Company’s third newsroom
Our Mission
Civic News Company’s mission is to help people understand how America works so they can make it work better.
Our Values
Impact: Writing stories is not enough. We are on a mission to deliver the full truth at the moments of greatest consequence. We prioritize coverage of civic issues and prioritize communities often neglected by traditional media. We seek to bring issues alive for readers so they can engage in informed action and debate.
Independence: We will hear out diverse perspectives, yet not be unduly influenced by any person, organization, or agenda. We will always seek to tell the truest story, without consideration of profit, ideology, advocacy, or popularity.
Democracy: We believe in the promise of a representative democracy. We believe the press – through informing and engaging the public – is crucial to fulfilling that promise.
Antiracism: We acknowledge and condemn the ongoing legacy of racism that has influenced vital U.S. institutions like the one we are part of, the press. We commit to standing against racism as we build our organization and conduct our work.
Equality: We respect and value all people regardless of their identity and background. We are inclusive in how we do our work, how we treat each other, and how we show up in the world.
Local first: We put down roots in the communities we cover and work with our readers as well as for them. We cover local people, institutions, and systems like they’re as important as the president — because they are.
Expertise: We commit resources to a single subject so our journalists can produce work that is authoritative and revealing. Building that expertise requires us to constantly learn, listen, and grow.
Trust: We want to earn trust by behaving with transparency and honesty, within our business practices and our journalism. We acknowledge that trust can only be earned by listening, owning mistakes, standing on principles, and operating in good faith.