Local Blogs: Covering City and County Government and Empowering Activism
Local blogs provide a medium to delve into zoning issues, expose local corruption, challenge traditional informational gatekeepers, broaden the knowledge of local political processes and reshape local discussions on governance. While many eyes often focus on national politics, what goes on locally often has a huge impact on all of our quality of life. Take zoning for example: it determines where roads, buildings and mass transit are built and affects the length of time it takes to get to a business, school or home. Hear from bloggers who cover city and county government and discuss the challenges in covering local politics.
Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg started Young Philly Politics (YPP) in late 2004, as an outlet in the wake of George Bush’s defeat of John Kerry. Since then, YPP has served as the online progressive hub of Philadelphia, with policy analysis, issue advocacy, community building, and electoral work. Dan, a May 2009 graduate of Penn Law School, is a multiple time member of the US National Rowing Team, and is coming out of a one-year ‘retirement’ to try to make the 2012 Olympic Team.
Paul Hogarth is a lawyer and community organizer at the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, a non-profit in San Francisco that also publishes Beyond Chron – voted the Bay Area's "Best Local Website" in 2008. Paul is Beyond Chron's Managing Editor, where he covers City Hall, affordable housing, and marriage equality. He is a former elected member of the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board, and almost filed to run for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors this year. Paul has appeared on CNN's "Blogger Bunch" to discuss Prop 8, and is a frequent guest on Bay Area radio shows about local politics.
Evan grew up in Columbia, MD, a planned community built by Jim Rouse in the 1960s to be socio-economically mixed, preserve greenspace, and guarantee the infrastructure promotes a high quality of life. When a development company proposed adding 5500 residential units into the downtown in a way that violated the Rouse vision Evan started the Howard County Blog to raise awareness of the proposed plan. The blog played a major role in shaping the debate. Transitioning from blog-activism to grassroots Evan was elected to the city council by doubling turnout in a typically low turnout election, winning by 21 votes.
Before returning to his hometown of Chicago to launch Progress Illinois in March 2008, Josh spent three years as a deputy editorial director and senior researcher at Media Matters for America, where he wrote over 500 articles debunking and documenting conservative misinformation. During the 2002 and 2004 election cycles, he worked as a project manager for one of the top political research firms in the country.
A Philadelphia native, Eli decided to stay in New Orleans after attending university there and has since become immersed in the swamp that is New Orleans politics. As an "amateur" blogger and reporter, Eli has extensively covered hurricane recovery issues and helped uncover instances of municipal corruption and waste. Lately, he founded SaveCharityHospital.com and is trying to locate the precise intersection where information meets action.
