WHYY would like your input on our plans to expand local news coverage in northwest Philadelphia.

In our pilot phase, we’ll launch local news websites that will focus on East Falls, Manayunk, Roxborough, Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy, Germantown and West Oak Lane. We hope to have the websites up this fall.

We’re looking for reporters, photographers and videographers to help cover the neighborhoods. Also, we’re seeking writers with strong viewpoints for columns. Many of these positions will be paid.

We’ve already hosted three neighborhood meetings to recruit community correspondents and hear about ideas for topics we should cover. Some stories undoubtedly will be of regional interest and therefore also will air on 91FM.

This effort is being led by Chris Satullo, who heads WHYY’s overall news programming. He was the editorial page editor at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Also, Dave Davies from Philadelphia Daily News is part of the WHYY news team.

This project, which is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will be called NewsWorks. We came up with that name because our site will focus on solution-based reporting. For example, instead of merely reporting on an abandoned property’s existence, we’ll adopt the story and provide our readers with updates on local efforts to get it cleaned up or sold.

Each neighbor knows of issues that could be solved quickly if information about it was shared. NewsWorks will be an outlet for setting community change in motion.

NewsWorks also will provide public discussion forums that will be available around the clock. They will be monitored by WHYY staff to create a place where we can respectfully exchange ideas.

None of this can happen without your participation. In order for this to work, we’re going to need free-lance writers, photographers, videographers and more. We also need your feedback on the types of issues we can bring to the fore.

The final meeting is:

Wednesday, May 12
6:30 p.m - 9:00 p.m.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church
8000 Willow Grove Ave., Chestnut Hill
Parking at: church lot across Willow Grove Ave.

RSVP by emailing Linda Breitstein
ppce@gse.upenn.edu
wk 215-898-1112

PS: If you go, you can register to win a brand new Apple IPAD. We’ll hold a drawing after all four meetings have been completed. Everyone who takes our survey at a meeting will be registered automatically to win.