The seed donor for ELi’s new Investigative News Fund has let us know we can release his name. The fund has reached almost $5,000 in two weeks.
DPW interim director confirms city workers had responded to incidents associated with the digging in Glencairn
Your local team of reporters and editors have been in overdrive recently working to keep the community informed with deep and time-consuming investigative work.
Take a few moments to complete our readership survey and help guide ELi on how to deliver the news you need.
New moderation policy is centered on our dedication to readers trusting us to be responsible.
We published fresh news today…but not here.
Peck graduated from Michigan State University in 2004 with a degree in journalism and a specialization in public relations, and her career has spanned marketing, fundraising, and nonprofit management.
We’re not (just) working from an anonymous complaint, and this is not the first time we’ve looked very closely at local officials’ actions.
Show the ELi reporting and editorial staff how much you appreciate their public service journalism!
Find out what’s happening at ELi (and hurry if you want to join us tomorrow night).
Thanks for all your support of this local news service team, East Lansing!
Only 12 of the 60 tickets remain, so act fast if you’d like to join us for a screening of “Storm Lake.” Before the film, you can grab dinner and a Storm Lake cocktail and check out an original indoor mural that will be on special display. Plus, meet members of the reporting team!
This article tells you about the job and why ELi’s Board of Directors is making this move.
ELi’s Board thanks Ray Vlasin for his exceptional service during a difficult time and looks forward to working as a new leadership team.
“This decision should put an end to [Chappelle’s] vindictive crusade,” ELi’s attorney Brian Wassom said about the decision, “and serve as a reassurance to journalists across the state that freedom of the press is still alive and well in Michigan.”
A message from ELi’s publisher.
New board members are well-versed in ELi operations and goals.
We’re asking your patience while we work out the bugs at our website.
Learn about ELi’s operations, income and expenses for 2022 in this annual transparency report.
An inside look at what’s happening at ELi.
We’d love to see you at our event on Wednesday, Jan. 25!
“From the beginning, your honors, in the circuit court and before this court, this case has been a farce,” ELi’sattorney Brian Wassom said. “This is an exercise of Mr. Chapelle’s vanity and vendetta parading as a defamation claim.”
Thanks to you, we did it! ELi’s Annual Campaign raised over 78% of what we anticipate will be ELi’s total budget for 2023 ($175,000). This means we can focus our efforts on doing what we came to do: reporting the news for you.
We let you in on what’s coming at ELi in January and February.
What are we expecting to cover in 2023 for East Lansing? Here’s a rundown.
We’ll be meeting with readers (and people interested in becoming ELi reporters) on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at Hooked.
Here are the simple truths about ELi.
ELi has expanded its editorial staff with the hiring of Lucas Day as City Desk Editor. Day comes to ELi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from MSU and experience reporting for The State News as well as other outlets.
We need your help articulating questions that will help registered voters decide who to back.
We’re back. And there’s a lot to catch up on. Get connected now.
Exciting step for ELi as relaunch of publication nears
ELi is looking to restart reporting on East Lansing in early September. Read about the plan and how YOU can help make it happen.
We bring you an update from the ELi Task Force, which is drafting recommendations for how to restart publication at ELi.
East Lansing Info’s recently formed Task Force makes its first recommendation: to begin an immediate search for a new Managing Editor.
For nearly eight years, ELi has brought the community the news. Now, it would like to examine how it can best serve the community in the future.
ELi is seeking an individual who will serve as the CEO of our nonprofit corporation and oversee content production. Are you interested in applying for this position? Here’s what you need to know.
As East Lansing Info considers how to best serve the community, we are asking for your help. Do you mind sharing your thoughts with us?
ELi’s Founder Alice Dreger explains what this two-week pause will entail, including conversations with ELi staff and the community.
Sam Hosey, the President of ELi’s Board of Directors, announces an upcoming transition at ELi.
Get the inside scoop on ELi’s revenue, expenses, and accomplishments for the calendar year 2021 in our latest annual report to readers.
After nearly a year of preparation, the ELi team is shifting some top roles – and expressing excitement about the changes. Karessa Wheeler reports for ELi.
We want to give a big thank you for all the moral and financial support we received so we can keep bringing the news in 2022!
ELi’s mission is to bring East Lansing the news. Here’s a look at what we think we’ll be helping you to know about and understand in context in 2022.
We asked our reporters which stories that they wrote meant the most to them in 2021. They answered, passing along a varied collection of stories for this year in review.
ELi’s Publisher gives you a look inside our “newsroom.”
Wrote a reader who contributed via his IRA, “The folks at ELi provide something of real value that almost NO other places have – honest investigative reporting for the people. I’m grateful and want to keep them going.” Learn how to help!
We are SUPER excited to bring you this fundraising update and to thank the 24 new donors who stepped up this week to unlock a $1,000 bonus for ELi!
When thousands of East Lansing residents were going on three days without Comcast service, ELi’s Alice Dreger pushed for answers. Why does ELi believe this is in keeping with our public service mission?
We bring you an update and tell you about our Weekend Warrior campaign to keep ELi going throughout 2022!
ELi faces a persistent lack of transparency and thus an unnecessary uphill climb in our efforts to report on what your local government is doing — including with your money. ELi City Desk reporter Andrew Graham brings the story.
Why would we be happy that ELi has become history? Find out!
Managing Editor Emily Joan Elliott reflects on how ELi has grown as a community institution, including a four-fold growth of “Ask ELi to Investigate” in just one year.
Publisher Alice Dreger explains ELi’s new policy regarding stock donations and how it will help ELi during our 2022 Sustainability Campaign. We also bring you a campaign update!
One reader calls ELi “a minor miracle and greatly appreciated.” So, what is the state of this local public news service? Our publisher brings you an update.
Listen to Andrew Graham speak on WKAR about the upcoming East Lansing City Council elections on the air today at 4:44 p.m. or online!
With very little money left in the bank, ELi needs to raise $200,000 to function next year. Can you help us meet that goal by becoming a core donor?
ELi’s Executive Director and Publisher brings you an update on the alleged-defamation lawsuit launched against ELi and her by real estate developer Scott Chappelle.
A significant portion of ELi’s readership uses Facebook to access the news we bring the community, but there is something we want to tell you about that.
ELi’s Publisher Alice Dreger and Managing Editor Emily Joan Elliott explain why we don’t post letters to the editor, even though we do carefully read what you send us!
You may be hearing about local news operations closing all over America. How come we are still here, 7 years in? Find out in our report on ELi’s income and expenses.
The lawsuit that Country Mill filed against the City of East Lansing for allegedly targeting the owner’s religious beliefs is now being tried in federal court. We explain how we will be covering it and recap the story as it has evolved thus far.
Our Publisher Alice Dreger explains in detail what we’re doing to manage a conflict-of-interest problem in the City Council elections.
With your help, we did it! Two days before the deadline, we reached the fundraising goal for our 2021-22 Youth Journalism Programming. Thank you!
As news organizations all around us keep closing, here’s the reality of where ELi stands.
To put it bluntly, ELi could not deliver the quality news you rely on without the work of our youngest reporters. Help us reach our youth journalism fundraising goal today!
If you give now to support ELi’s Youth Journalism Programs, we will see your gift DOUBLE thanks to matching funds! It’s easy to help our area young people engage with factual local journalism!
ELi is now accepting applications for its 5th annual Summer Youth Journalism Program to be held in August 2021. Read on to find out more about the two courses offered and how to apply.
ELi plans to cover ELHS Trojans’ varsity sports, but we would like your feedback on what that might look like.
ELi’s 90-minute public brainstorming session produced a lot of ideas for how the City could increase revenues and reduce expenses. Have a look!
Have you had ideas about how the City of East Lansing might save money or increase revenues? Curious what others have to say? Join us Monday evening!
We will be taking a much needed publishing break that coincides with a week of ELPS Spring Break and fewer governmental meetings.
![Your ELi: We Want to Know What YOU Value in a Local News Service [UPDATED]](https://eastlansinginfo.news/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/what-should-eli-value-768x454.png)
We have a date: Mar. 10 at 7 p.m. on Zoom! Take our survey and get ready to join us in a public discussion of what we should value as we work for you at ELi.
It’s Emily’s birthday, and Alice is away, so you’ll see a little less from us for a few days. We hope it makes you appreciate the work of ELi’s team even more!
ELi’s reporting team looked into the City’s Employee Homeownership Program to understand how one relatively unusual benefit has been disbursed.
Our Executive Director and Publisher brings you ELi’s 2020 Annual Report so you can see what we brought in, what we spent, and what we achieved for East Lansing.
We bring you preliminary numbers on our 2021 Sustainability Campaign and tell you what some donors said as they helped last night!
Here’s an update as of 8:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
Hear Peter Sagal of “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!” explain why YOU should donate to keep ELi running! And, if you donate $50 to this special campaign, you’ll get an autographed copy of Peter’s memoir about running!
We just need a little more money to top off three special-match buckets, all of them captained by people who love East Lansing neighborhoods!
From ELHS closing due to Covid-19, to volunteers sewing masks to donate, to the Harbor Bay dealings, our reporters highlight stories they enjoyed bringing you in 2020. At this page, you can click on “play” buttons to hear individual recordings of the articles read by their own reporters!
The unexpected joy obtained through ELi is providing a place for us to witness and amplify the good of this exceptional community.
Get an inside look at ELi’s expenses to see where donated dollars go and to understand why, this year, our Sustainability Campaign goal is higher than last.
The thought of having our city, East Lansing, be in the dark or be misled when it comes to facts is just too awful a thought. But we are far short of our fundraising need.
Maysa Sitar, Secretary of ELi’s Board of Directors, won a Mitchell Scholarship to study at Queen’s University Belfast. We explain why Maysa is so deserving of this honor.
We ran through how to deal with a mass shooting, a series of gas explosions, and a tornado. Our Executive Director and Publisher explains why.
Keep investigative and informative local news coming in 2021 for East Lansing! Give today and we will get a full MATCH for your donation!
Looking for something fun to do? Come play trivia, hosted by the ELi staff. First-place winner gets a Crunchy’s gift card courtesy of our Publisher Alice Dreger!
Why should you support ELi during our 2021 Sustainability Campaign? ELi’s City Desk Editor Andrew Graham explains why ELi is important to him and the community.
Why should you support ELi? Managing Editor Emily Joan Elliott explains why she loves working here.
Make a donation in support of ELi today and see your tax-deductible gift DOUBLED!
Alice has made a short video directed at people who are doing pretty okay financially and who understand the value of ELi. Now is the time.
The podcast will bring you news and analysis of the latest happenings in East Lansing by our staff each week.
“What local news does is unite and empower the people who believe that democracy is a moral act.” ELi’s Alice Dreger remembers John Kloswick, her Council-watching partner.
A total of 256 people took our survey about ELi posting at Facebook. We bring you the results.
“We will continue to operate under the conviction that extraordinary actors in our city require extraordinary scrutiny. Especially when they are seeking the taxpayers’ money.”
ELi undergoes a transition (which may temporarily impact our news production) and asks you to consider taking a couple of steps to help us stay connected to you.
Want to send a happy message about a person or institution at the top of our daily mailer? You now can!
Readers have written in asking why ELi did not provide in-depth reporting about the August 4th election. Publisher Natalie Rose explains why we don’t cover every local election the same way.
ELi readers are excited to hear our work mentioned on Fresh Air this week. Want to know the backstory?
Did you know the Center City mural is finished and the Jolly Pumpkin sign is up? Want quick East Lansing Info news updates in your mailbox? ELi has launched a “chatty” newsletter. Read our latest and sign up!
ELi will hold our Summer Youth Journalism Program online this July and August. Read on for details and the program application.
This decision has been a long time coming. It’s made in the service of our core mission: bringing accurate and timely news of East Lansing.
The public health emergency has caused ELi’s reporting rate to surge 60 percent over the same period last year. Fortunately, we’ve secured extra funding to meet the increased costs.
Thank you, ELi readers, for your generous donations and wonderfully supportive words!
ELi Publisher Natalie Rose explains why we have been using Omella to fundraise for East Lansing Info during our Stimulate ELi’s Reporting campaign.
We have now lined up $6,300 in match commitments from local donors, and so far we’ve brought in $1,356 in additional donations.
Can you help us stimulate local reporting and local jobs with some of your stimulus check?
Our publisher pauses to answer the question, “How is ELi doing?”
East Lansing Info (ELi) isn’t just about producing meaningful news for the people of the East Lansing area. It’s also about engaging our community in the process of public-service journalism so that we increase media literacy and appreciation for high-quality journalism. We believe it is our job to help the people of our community learn…
ELi’s Publisher explains why the ELi team decided to create a whole new website for our readers.