San Diego Documenters
inewsource trains and pays San Diegans to document public meetings across San Diego County.
Why public meetings?
Public meetings are essential workshops for democracy. These meetings enable residents to learn about and take action on the systems that impact their lives. However, many public meetings are inaccessible and can be intimidating.
To address this problem, San Diego Documenters is putting the “public” back in public meetings. We train, incentivize and pay San Diegans to document community meetings and local government. Anyone can become a documenter by signing up and attending a documenter workshop.
San Diego Documenters was inspired by the first Documenters program created in Chicago, in 2016, and we are a part of the National Documenters Network.
Become a Documenter
Documenters are residents and civic actors, representing a broad base of intergenerational, diverse communities throughout San Diego County.
By joining our network you will have access to:
- Free training, events, and paid assignments
- The Documenters Discord Server
- Exclusive opportunities from inewsource and local Documenters partners
Attend a workshop
This two-hour training will introduce you to the program and the skills you’ll need. Upon completion of this workshop, you’ll be eligible for a gift card and will be able to apply for paid assignments.
San Diego Documenters training includes:
- A walk-through of the program, including incentives and pay rates
- How to complete assignments
- What your rights are at public meetings
Start taking assignments
Trained Documenters are paid between $18/hr-$25/hr, depending on experience and location. We support Documenters throughout the reporting process and publish their edited notes for other news media, community organizations, and residents to use.
During assignments, you will:
- Connect with community members
- Report on public meetings
- Update the community about systems that impact their lives
Not a Documenter yet? Learn how to become one here.
If you have already been trained, join the San Diego Documenters Discord Server — a free space where trained Documenters connect, ask questions, and support each other — by following the steps in our Documenters Discord Guide.
Involve YOUR Community
Documenters are leaders, people who can be relied on for information and knowledge. Through community, anything is possible. We need the help of Documenter leaders to motivate, educate, and activate their friends, family and neighbors to join the Documenters movement.
As a Documenter leader, you will:
- Motivate, educate, and activate your fellow community members to join the movement
- Help us evolve our program to be more accessible/effective
- Support fellow Documenters to thrive in our program
You must be logged in to post a comment.