Mark your calendars! On June 3, Renaissance Journalism is hosting a one-day symposium for journalists on educational equity. The event, "Equity Matters: Covering the Troubling Divide in the Education of America's Children," will bring together the nation’s top experts and leading education journalists in examining the root causes and impact of our nation’s troubling “opportunity gap.” This disparity has resulted in an unequal education system, shortchanging the futures of millions of low-income, minority and immigrant children.
A Renaissance Journalism initiative to enhance local news coverage and deep-rooted storytelling about the city of Detroit’s past and future has been bolstered by a new partnership joining Detroit Public Television (DPTV), one of nine news outlets that belongs to the pioneering Detroit Journalism Cooperative, and the Detroit Historical Society.
A “Grand Bargain” dreamed up by a federal judge and funded by a covey of foundations has helped to rescue the city of Detroit from bankruptcy and $18 billion in debts. Now comes the hard part: rebuilding the public’s trust in government and the schools, repairing frayed relations among various racial and other groups, and wooing new residents, businesses and investors.
That means changing people’s perceptions about Detroit, making people believe that it is the place to be, rather than to flee. How journalists portray Detroit as it emerges from bankruptcy will have a big impact on the public’s perceptions, not just locally, but nationally as well.
