Giving the news back to the neighborhood
Common Good Journalism is a neighborhood-centered journalism project that helps citizens notice and tell the stories already unfolding around them. We are grounded in the idea that “all transformation is linguistic,” requiring new words and new ways of seeing.
Our focus lies at the intersection of local democracy and social capital. By shifting the news narrative from blame and crisis to possibility and shared agency, we empower communities to reclaim their own future.
Editorial Conveners Board
Lorie Baker – Co‑Founder, Common Good Journalism
Peter Block – Co‑Founder, Common Good Journalism
Derek Peebles – Common Good Alliance
Rijon Ericson – Common Good Alliance
Kevin Jones – Neighborhood Economics
Leslie Stephen – Editor at Large
Jim Prues – World 5.0
Gayle Hilleke – Retired Executive Director, EngageKY
Clinton Kehr, PhD – Civic Leader
Dan Joyner – Restorative Leadership Partner
Convening Residents
We begin by bringing neighbors together, grounded in the belief that transformation starts with the language we use to describe our shared reality.
The Neighborhood Residency
We work with neighborhoods to shift the news narrative from crisis to shared agency, creating space for transformation through language and local democracy.
Citizen Storytellers
We build the capacity of local citizens to notice and tell the stories already unfolding around them, shifting the focus to possibility.
Tracking Change
Using tools like our Vitality Index, we track local social capital and democratic health to measure the impact of neighborhood resonance.