Outlier Media Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2023

Welcome to our first annual report!

It is a pleasure to share with you our community of support, the mission impact, growth and hopes for the future of our work We built Outlier as a newsroom connected and responsive to the needs of Detroiters. We strive to produce journalism that helps Detroiters survive and thrive in our city. Whether you are navigating systems or connecting to your neighbors and community, we want to be on residents' minds when considering where to go for valuable information.

ANoteFrom ourExecutive Director

In 2016, Outlier’s founder, Sarah Alvarez, began building the research that has become the foundation of our work. From the beginning, we’ve remained committed to serving Detroiters most disconnected from quality information and building an organization that honors the talent and brilliance of the people we employ.

CANDICE FORTMAN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Thankstotheinvestmentsofindividualdonorsandourphilanthropic partners,weareseeingourvisionforaliberatedinformationecosystem evolveintoamoreassuredpromise,withournewsroomcontinuingto serveanincreasingnumberofDetroitersdirectlybyoffering:

1

Hyper-local Focus

Outlier Media is dedicated to serving Detroit's diverse neighborhoods by delivering relevant, neighborhood-specific news and information. The organization recognizes the importance of hyper-local reporting to meet the unique needs and interests of each community within the city

2 Community-Centric Journalism

Outlier Media places community voices at the forefront of its reporting. By actively involving residents in the news creation process, the organization ensures our stories are authentic, reflect community concerns, and promote a deeper understanding of local issues

3 Information Equity

Recognizing the importance of information equity, Outlier Media addresses gaps in access to essential news, particularly in underserved communities. The organization aims to empower all residents, irrespective of socioeconomic status, by providing them with the information necessary for informed decision-making.

4 Responsive Reporting

Outlier Media is committed to timely and relevant reporting on critical issues affecting Detroit. The organization remains agile and responsive to emerging trends, ensuring residents are well-informed about local developments impacting their lives.

5 Collaborative Partnerships

Outlier Media collaborates with local organizations, businesses, and community leaders to enhance its impact. By fostering partnerships, the organization extends its reach, gains diverse perspectives, and strengthens its ability to address the evolving needs of Detroit's communities.

Innovative Technology

Employing cutting-edge technology, Outlier Media utilizes digital platforms, mobile applications, and data-driven journalism to reach residents where they are The organization ensures that information is accessible, engaging, and tailored to the preferences of its audience.

7 Sustainable Business Model

Outlier Media prioritizes the development of a sustainable business model to ensure the longevity of its impactful journalism. By exploring diverse revenue streams and engaging with its audience to understand their needs, the organization aims to remain financially viable while delivering high-quality journalism.

6

Outlier Media is a groundbreaking nonprofit newsroom designed to center and respond to Detroiters’ needs. Our original methods and tools find and address information gaps and systemic failures that create harm in our community. We are a model for others who believe that democratizing information and redistributing power is essential.

Mission Vision

Our newsroom works toward a vision of a liberated city with healthy civic infrastructure rooted in Detroiters’ participation and self-determination.

Editorial Impact

OutlierMediacontinuedtomakeanimpactatthe personal level for Detroiters and the policy level for Detroit in 2023. We helped individuals navigate issues like high utility bills or knowing where to turn for help with affordable housing through our text message-based info line, TXTOUTLIER. This system is one of the primary ways we fill information gaps for Detroiters and identifyaccountabilitygapswewanttofocuson withourinvestigativereporting

In 2022, we fielded messages from residents about utility debt. We followed up with an investigation that found DTE had sold its customers’ debt to aggressive third-party debt collectors who were taking people to court and garnishing their paychecks years after their accounts were closed. Due in part to our reporting, the Michigan Public Service Commission implemented new rules the followingyeartodiscouragethesedebtsales.

We are proud of our TXTOUTLIER platform, which helps us communicate directly with residents seeking help. We have also known for years that we must upgrade our info line to continue serving Detroiters well That’s why, in 2023, we committed to making necessary changes and are looking forward to debuting evenbetterserviceinthespringof2024.

Tohelpserveourreadersbetter,werelaunched our website to make it easier for people to access articles and resources. We also implemented other processes to improve the visibility of our journalism, leading to our readership quadrupling from the first to the last quarterof2023.

AsDetroiters’requestsfor helpincrease,ourCollaborativeDetroit Newsroom editorial network has also grown. Wewelcomedoureighthnewsroompartnerto expand the reach of Outlier and Detroit Documenters: our first television partner in WXYZ (Channel 7) Our radio and television newsroom partners regularly invite Outlier Mediareportersontheirshowstoexpoundon our work and amplify it throughout the city. These partnerships allow us to increase our rigor, production, and output for Detroiters. Our increased capacity to report on local government,utilities,artsandculture,science, and the environment has led to more Detroiters letting us know they feel seen and heard.

Withournewsroom partners,weledandcontinue facilitatingtheproductionof anongoingcollaborativeproject, StreetlightDetroit.Abiweekly newsletterfocusingonpolicing,justice, andpublicsafety,thisambitiousproject isthefourthnewsletterunderOutlier’s reportingproductumbrella Streetlight Detroitisthefirstofitskindanda vehicletochallengethe statusquoofsafety reporting.

Over the past year, we've continued building and cultivating a robust freelance journalist network and have worked with writers and visual journalists — including college students to produce more independent and collaborativejournalism

Editorial Impact

Detroit Documenters

Regularly shoring up our reporting is the Detroit Documenters program, which recently reached a significant milestone of training 500 Documenters to monitor public meetings. The program also expanded assignment types beyond notetaking and live-tweeting, adding more paid opportunities to accommodate the influx of applicants.

Documenters were vital in assisting the Detroit Free Press’ ongoing reporting on the juvenile justice system in Wayne County. Program participants also routinely contributed to investigative reporting from Outlier and partner newsrooms throughout the city, which often credit Documenters in their articles.

Documenters’ presence, efforts, and insistence on greater accessibility and transparency from agencies were instrumental in agencies publicly posting meeting agendas and minutes for the first time or providing them in response to FOIA requests sent on behalf of the program.

Impact Matters 2023 Highlights

At Outlier, we focus on making tangible changes in Detroiters’ lives. We want our work to have an impact on policy and to make everyday life better in our city. Our newsroom has the pleasure of working alongside residents to produce high-quality information and hear directly from Detroiters about what type of information our communities need. We continue to build a strong foundation for our news cycle with and for Detroiters who deeply care about their city and ultimately seek solutions for systemic failures that have created harm.

400,000 residents via TXT Outlier provided critical resources and information

539 Outlier Collective members who deeply care about Detroit

500 citizens trained and paid to document public meetings

261 articles written in 2023

Nearly 1,000 public meetings attended by Documenters

Impact Matters

Safety & Policing via Streetlight Newsletter

byKobyLevin

Newor Expanded Editorial Coverage Areas

Arts Cul

bySaMyaOverall

Science Reporting

Detroit music venues are trying to address sexual violence. Are they doing enough?

Detroit’s sickle cell community wants improvements to basic care

Impact Matters

Ourtop investigation fortheyear

The Low-Rent Trap Housing Investigation

We investigated Detroit’s largest affordable housing provider, the Detroit Housing Commission (DHC). By reporting long waiting lists, unanswered tenant questions and concerns, and exposing poor living conditions, Outlier worked to get the answers residents deserve. This work resulted in the elected official U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib reaching out to DHC to better understand the situation. She said she wouldn’t hesitate to hold responsible parties accountable.

Impact Matters

Top5 Articles Published in2023

‘Highway by another name’: I375 redesign plan disappoints many Detroiters

byAaronMondry

A massive Detroit mural series where are the Detroit artists?

byAaronMondry

4

Detroit architects’ favorite Detroit buildings

byAaronMondry

Floods, rats and no hot water: Detroit Housing Commission properties have failed inspections for years

byAaronMondry& RukiyaColvin

5

Detroit’s first 3D-printed house is on the market

byKobyLevin

Impact Matters 2023 Guides

Impact Matters

We celebrated our nomination for Local that Works by hosting a “Notes-Worthy Celebration” for all of the Detroit Documenters at the Detroit Historical Museum in January 2023. The evening was filled with laughs, food, and a winners-take-all Detroit Trivia competition hosted by City Institute.

ting roit nters

New TV Newsroom Partner

WXYZ/Channel7

Vote with confidence: A guide from the Detroit Documenters

LION

Publisher’s Business of the Year

We’re The Outlier Collecti e

In October 2023, Outlier staff teamed up with members of The Collective and the Detroit Documenters to review the food at the newly openedWhatchaWannaEatfoodhall.

The Execution

The Outlier Collective is an outlet for readers in many ways. We hear two t frequently from our members. First, they to contribute their skills, time, and experti something bigger than themselves. Sec they want to connect with a communi like-minded individuals. A view shared b members during their membership sign- p that they trust our news outlet and our reporting and want to be more engaged with it – and their community. The Outlier Collective allows them to do that – through volunteering, collaboration, attending events, and civic engagement.

The Objective

Outlier Media exists for all Detroiters, bringing paywall-free information to those who need it when they need it

In creating a membership structure that was authentic to our mission, we had to consider that not all members could pay to join. We were unwilling to make the ability to pay a barrier to access membership benefits, which is why The Outlier Collective has a pay-itforward structure. Those who can pay for membership keep membership free for those who cannot afford to pay. Everyone has access to the same membership benefits.

ForourfirstCollectivevolunteeropportunity,we teamed up with Art Road to bring art to the students at Edison Elementary on Detroit’s westside The students are pictured creating storyboardsforour"media"themedevent They wereabletopaintactualtubeTVs,too!

IsupportOutlier MediabecauseIwanttoknow aboutmylocalgovernment[...]There's avoidofcoveragerightnowacrossthis countrywhenitcomestolocalpolitics, creatingopportunityforcorruptionand mismanagement.Bybecomingasupporter ofOutlierMedia,wecankeepaclosereye onlocalhappenings,andwecanaddress thatissue,therebycreatingamore transparentandaccountablelocal governmentthattrulyserves thepeople.

—JesúsArzola-Vega

OutlierMediahas investedthetimetobuildagency andtrustwithDetroiters.Theirrole coordinatingDetroitDocumenters,as wellasinvitingpassionateneighborsto sharetheirideas,dataanddreamsin opennewsroomsandduringregular officehourshasinspiredactioninour community.Do-gooders,citizen researchersandfreelancejournalistsare nowencouragedtoco-mingleandbuild ideasintoactionableservicejournalism. Thisisinspiringchange,action,and follow-through.

— David Palmer

A few Words From our Members

IamamemberofOutlier becauseIbelieveinsupportinglocal news.Outlier’sreportinghasconnected metoactivistmovements,funweekend plans,andimportantnewsthatisrelevanttothe cityofDetroit.Thecoverageisalwaystrustworthy andin-depth.IlovegoingtoOutliereventsasthe staffcreateawarm,welcomingatmosphere,that emphasizescommunityandprovidingfeedbackon theirreporting.IfeelthatbygivingtoOutlier,Iam abletosupporttheever-so-importantjournalism thatI,andsomanyotherDetroiters,relyon weekafterweek.Iamproudtobe anOutliermemberandreader!

— Rachel Wasserman

Our Community Cares

In April 2023, we met with some of our original Detour members to learn more about what they want to see in a newly re-designed membership program. We invited people to visit the Outlier newsroom, where we enjoyed food and conversation Those who couldn’t attend in person got to share their thoughts through our online survey. The input we gathered from participants served as the foundation for our Outlier Collective Membership Program, which launched in August 2023.

Our member support is critical to our work, as is our network of Detroit Documenters In this program, Outlier trains residents to capture public meetings and monitor our elected officials in collaboration with local journalists

Scanthe QRcodeto giveus your feedback!

We want to find new and fun ways to connect with our community members. We’re excited to hear your ideas and thoughts on what news or information would be most helpful to your everyday life We’ve had the privilege to connect with community members at various events and enjoy listening to people’s experiences and desires for our news service.

To uplift this vital role, we began this year to spotlight a documenter each month: documenters like Perry Sylvester, who said he wants to be a “cog in a wheel” because wheels don’t turn without cogs and that he gets inspiration and camaraderie in doing this work as part of a team of civically engaged Detroiters.

Our Community Cares

Wine & Chill

Noam Kimbelman and Jen Rusciano, supporters of Outlier, along with Vince McCraw, an Outlier Board member, organized a house party called Wine & Chill. The goal was to help spread the word about Outlier and raise funds to support the mission.

We launched our monthly community meet-ups at Good Cookies in May 2023.

Outlier

We ended 2023 with a year-end roundup at Spot Lite for all our Outlier Collective members and supporters. (Featuring a live watercolor portrait artist!)

We’re Grateful for our Community Partners

Outlier Media receives support from national and local foundations and more than 500 caring individuals who donate monthly and annually to our mission. This support from our community partners demonstrates that we are providing a valuable news service by choosing to donate and by offering their expertise, sharing insights about their neighborhoods, volunteering with us, and more We can’t do any of this vital reporting without our community's generous support.

Scan the QR code to learn more about our funders

Financial Spotlight

2023 was a year of transformative growth for Outlier Media.

We began the year as a fully independent nonprofit entity after separating from our former fiscal sponsor, MuckRock Foundation, in 2022. Achieving complete independence took time, but was a necessary learning experience because it forced us to create our own processes and consider how we want to operate as an organization, now and in the future. It prompted us to roll out a new employee handbook, think strategically about staff decisions, and push ourselves to hit ambitious fundraising goals.

In 2023, our budget increased from 1.1 to 1.8 million dollars. Creating this budget gave us a rubric for growth and helped us see a path for the long-term future. We also elected to undergo our first financial audit to examine our internal processes and ensure we were creating a foundation for stability. We are proud that in a year where we experienced a major organizational shift, we received a clean audit opinion.

Our most significant expense by far was investing in our people. It was important to us to plan for growth by rightsizing positions, investing in competitive salaries, adding new roles to our team, bringing staff members from part-time to full-time, and ensuring we were offering benefits that meet everyone’s needs. Beyond this, we invested in consultants to improve our marketing and membership capabilities, launch a new website, and create a new SMS system. We also expanded and deepened our work with the Detroit Documenters program.

We are entering 2024 feeling confident about our fundraising capabilities, better prepared for organizational shifts and growth, and solid in the direction of our expanding work serving Detroiters’ information needs.

Our Team

Sarah

Alvarez

Founder & Editorin-Chief

Chelsea

Brown Development Director

Miriam

arini aking News Reporter

Lynelle

Herndon etroit Documente Coordinator

Ashley

Fassett Operations & Membership Coordinator

Candice

Fortman Executive Director

Erica

Schopmeyer

Director of Operations & Finance

aron

ondry Senior Reporter

Koby

Levin

Senior Science Reporter

aMya

erall Detour Editor & Reporter

Erin

Perry Managing Editor

Kate

Abbey-Lambertz Product Manager

Noah

Kincade Detroit Documenters Coordinator

Dan

Ignacio Digital Editor

Malak

Silmi Reporter*

Mayes

Kirk Entrepreneur

McCraw