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Hi there:
"Accountability journalism" gets thrown around a lot. But what does it actually mean?
It means we were there in January when the City Manager made a promise.
And we're still here in December checking whether it happened.
It means we read the 200-page staff report before the meeting.
So when something doesn't add up during the discussion, we notice — and we ask about it.
It means we remember what was said last time.
When an explanation changes or a justification shifts, we can point to what was stated six months ago and ask why it's different now.
It means we track projects from proposal to approval to construction.
So when a development that was promised to break ground "next spring" is still an empty lot two years later, we follow up.
This is what accountability looks like in practice.
It's not dramatic. It's not confrontational for the sake of being confrontational. It's consistent, informed, and relentless in the pursuit of transparency.
And it only works if someone shows up.
Every meeting. Every budget workshop. Every planning hearing. Building the institutional knowledge that makes accountability possible.
This year alone, we've:
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Covered 20+ City Council meetings
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Attended 20+ Planning Commission hearings
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Analyzed multiple budget documents
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Tracked dozens of development projects
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Written nearly 500 stories about Palm Springs
We're a two-person team with some great freelance help.
We don't have a newsroom full of reporters. But we do have you — readers who understand why this work matters and who are willing to support it. |
