Sacramento Bee’s new reporting lab on equity, economic mobility and communities
Reflect|Sac
The Sacramento Bee is building a team of journalists to tell stories of equity, diversity and community as Sacramento grows toward a more inclusive future.
The Sacramento Bee launched its Equity Lab in September 2020.
Read stories and learn more about the lab here.
This page will no longer be updated after Sept. 24, 2020. Please follow the link above.
What we’ll do
We are launching a groundbreaking community-funded team of journalists to highlight the inequities and triumphs of communities that have long been underserved by our news organization and other media.
The Bee will add three reporters and will welcome an editor to lead this team, which will focus on surfacing solutions to longstanding challenges. Engagement within our communities will be central to the work of this community voices team and reporting lab.
Our mission is to help drive community conversations about the pressures facing the Sacramento region. We aim to elevate voices and accountability reporting to ensure all groups have what they need to be successful — healthcare, jobs and education — and that they have equal access to these resources.
How to help
The Sacramento Region Community Foundation has established a fund for local journalism and education. Donors to the Impact Media Fund at the foundation include James Irvine Foundation, The James B. McClatchy Foundation and the Sierra Health Foundation, as well as individual donors.
The Impact Media Fund is continuing to receive contributions for the Equity Lab team. Click on the button below to make a contribution.
Donate nowContact us
To learn more about the reporting lab or to suggest a story, email Sacramento Bee Executive Editor Lauren Gustus at lgustus@sacbee.com.
Read Community Voices stories here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Do the foundations have any control over what is reported?
Editorial independence has been a core value at The Sacramento Bee for more than 160 years. We strive to deliver high-impact journalism in the public interest. While we value the support of our funding partners, outside funders have no editorial oversight, approval or influence over the content produced by lab reporters or other members of the Sacramento Bee newsroom.
Q: What other news organizations have received foundation funding?
The Seattle Times launched an Education Lab years ago that is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and City University of Seattle. The Miami Herald received support from the Rockefeller Foundation to cover Puerto Rico’s recovery from Maria. The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and public media such as NPR and PBS have all accepted foundation funding.
Q: Will this effort replace The Sacramento Bee’s regular reporting on key issues in our community?
No, these are new positions. We will continue to cover housing, transportation, job growth and more across the Sacramento region.
STATEMENT OF EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE
Editorial independence has been a core value at the Sacramento Bee for more than 160 years. We strive to deliver high-impact journalism in the public interest. While we value the support and partnership of our funding partners, outside funders will not have any editorial oversight, approval or influence over the content produced by the fellow or other members of the Sacramento Bee newsroom.
This story was originally published October 29, 2019 at 4:59 PM.