You might have heard us mention Cleveland Documenters. Today is Documenters Day, so I’m here to tell you more about what Documenters do and why they are essential to informing Clevelanders and holding those in power accountable. 

Cleveland Documenters are regular Greater Clevelanders—your neighbors—who ground and guide our journalism. More than 750 people have signed up to be trained Documenters. They attend and take notes at public meetings, help us conduct interviews on important topics, and build databases from public records. Their work and curiosity support our reporters and editors as we follow up on issues and get answers. 

Why is this so important? 

As a small newsroom, we recognize that our team can’t be everywhere, but Cleveland Documenters are. They represent every single ZIP code in the City of Cleveland and nearly every ZIP code in Cuyahoga County.

And Documenters allow us to hear from all of you. They attend more city and county government meetings than any news staff ever could. They listen to their neighbors, family and friends. And they share what they hear so we can do our jobs better. 

Today is Documenters Day, a day we’re taking to celebrate these partners and community members who help us serve you. If you value the work that we do with our Cleveland Documenters, and if you believe that our approach to journalism is better than what has come before, please make a donation to Signal Cleveland to celebrate this day. 

All donations are tax-deductible and are currently being doubled by NewsMatch. And, if you make a monthly donation, it’s matched for a full year.