Good News

Judging by the number of opinion polls registering low levels of public trust in the news media, many Americans today probably view journalism as a self-serving craft. The authors of News for US: Citizen-Centered Journalism take a different view, tracing the roots of what they describe as “relational journalism” to the “public journalism” movement of the early 1990s when editors, reporters and broadcasters worked directly with community members to set the agenda for news gatherers and to explore new ways of reporting on policy issues. Read more.

Daily headlines contain the latest numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic. While much of the focus is on infection rates, less attention goes to secondary effects, two of which are housing insecurity and learning loss. While there’s no silver bullet to deal with these impacts on children and families, we’ve seen numerous examples of schools, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and others pivoting their services to meet the increased need. One such organization is Oakridge Neighborhood Read more.

The arid climate of El Paso, Texas is a stressor on energy systems and puts the city at risk for sustainability challenges like drought. El Paso knows these risks and continues to work towards creative solutions to support the future prosperity of their city. In 2016, El Paso Electric became the first utility in Texas and New Mexico to completely eliminate coal generation from its portfolio, and in April of 2017 achieved Gold SolSmart designation, serving as an example for energy efficiency across the state.

With federal dollars filtering down through CARES, ARPA and a future infrastructure bill, this is an ideal opportunity for cities and counties to engage residents and other community stakeholders in helping to direct new funds in an equitable manner. Read more for engagement guidelines and community examples.

As a follow up to the city of Franklin’s designation as an All-America City in 2020, Franklin Tomorrow used the League’s Civic Index to measure the community’s civic capital. Participants were asked to complete the self-assessment after participating in in-person or virtual discussions with neighbors. Read more.

Youth across the country are becoming more civically engaged and are taking an active role in issues that will impact their futures. The League was joined by the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District and the Campus Election Engagement Project for a webinar featuring youth making positive change. Watch here.