So much has been said, posted, and shared in the past week, and InvestigateWest must add our voice to both document this moment as journalists and bear witness as human beings. Americans George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor died because the systems created to protect citizens were not built for people with their skin color. They were not the first to die, and tragically, they will not be the last. We need to make change, now. Here are our promised next steps:
InvestigateWest will fight to keep local news alive, particularly that of diverse and underserved communities. We will support our journalists and readers by paying fair wages for good work, and distributing more broadly and into communities that have lacked the news coverage they need. InvestigateWest is a founding member of the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), a national journalism community of nonprofit independent newsrooms, and we are actively working with members to strengthen news networks.
We commit to doing more as an organization to create the opportunities and policies, both internally and externally, that will further the voices of those our society has failed to equally respect. That must include a better balance of voices within our own organization, from leadership to journalists in the field.
We will continue to shine a spotlight on areas that may be difficult to look at or talk about, even if that means taking a hard look at ourselves. We will use what skills we have to remake this world into a place better than it was before. And know that this is the start of the conversation. If you have other ideas for us, or ways you would like to be involved, we welcome you to reach out. We are only just beginning.
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InvestigateWest reporters uncovered years of sexual abuse by women’s prison guards prompting calls for independent investigation
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