Fall Updates from ELi
Summer has come to a close, and there have been some exciting changes at ELi!
There are new faces covering the city.
ELi added three new reporters this summer, and each has already started reporting on important matters in the city.
Mark Pontoni retired from East Lansing High School at the end of last school year and wasted no time finding a new way to give back to the community. As a former social studies teacher, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge about our systems and issues impacting our community. Mark will report on topics important to East Lansing residents, community figures and local high school sports teams.
Nico Bradford is a senior at Michigan State University majoring in journalism with a concentration in environmental, science and health reporting. Nico previously wrote for environmental news service Great Lakes Echo, and has already delivered important local environmental stories.
Ayah Imran is also a senior at Michigan State University, double-majoring in journalism and women and gender studies. Ayah has gotten her feet wet in reporting on the city and plans to continue reporting on the library and important community issues.
Luke Day continues to lead the reporting team after taking over as managing editor in February. Luke has now been with ELi for two years, during that time he has primarily covered city government.
We joined the Michigan Press Association!
In July, ELi’s application to join the Michigan Press Association (MPA) was accepted! As members of MPA, ELi joins a network of the state’s most trusted journalists. We will also have access to Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) experts, trainings and other resources that will improve our reporting.
Our MPA membership comes in addition to our existing Institute for Nonprofit News membership. That network includes about 450 outlets providing nonpartisan, high quality journalism.
ELi had an opportunity to apply for two grants this spring, and was awarded both, totaling $40,000.
ELi Executive Director Beth Peck participated in the Google News Initiative Fundamentals Lab for the Institute of Nonprofit News. This lab was a live, online program that encouraged collaborative learning with other nonprofit news leaders across the country. Peck learned how to transform Google analytics data into meaningful actionable insights that can be used to grow audience development, reader revenue, and advertising revenue. ELi applied for a grant through this initiative and was awarded $20,000.
Peck also participated in the LION (Local Independent Online News) Sustainability Audit. This Audit process provided a clear assessment of the strengths of ELi and practical next steps for increasing the organization’s long-term sustainability. After completing an audit questionnaire, Peck had in depth interviews with a LION analyst, and ELi received an audit report detailing recommended next steps for growth and sustainability. ELi leadership is excited to implement the audit recommendations, and was awarded $20,000 for this implementation.
The first recommendation taken was hiring Chuck Plaehn as a donor relations coordinator. Chuck is a senior advertising student at Michigan State University who will work with donors, neighborhood leaders and other residents to ensure that ELi’s operations continue to be sustainable.
Election season is upon us, and ELi has big plans to keep our readers informed.
While Election Day isn’t until Nov. 5, early voting for the general election started yesterday (Sept. 26). The ELi team is already hard at work gathering information that will help voters prepare to head to the ballot box.
Next week, ELi and the Lansing Area League of Women Voters are working together to record a program about a proposed charter amendment that would impact housing and rental regulations in East Lansing. Have questions about the proposal? Ask them here, your feedback will help guide the questions posed to program participants.
We also plan to bring information on candidates for school board, county and state offices and more!