From the Shore to the Ben Franklin Bridge, what matters most to South Jersey?
Now that WHYY has taken over as the public radio source for South Jersey and Mercer County, we at NewsWorks need your help identifying the issues, events and people that matter most in those communities.
What stories in your town and your countymost need to be covered? Tell us below.
NewsWorks is conducting a series of town hall meetings across New Jersey to help shape our news coverage online and on WHYY-FM. The first of three such meetings took place on Monday, April 2, in Princeton. About 40 people showed up and shared their interests, their experiences, and their hopes with us.
To tell the stories they want us to tell, they said they want us to look at:
Public transportation
Education, especially funding, teacher salaries, quality of schools
Politics and the powers of local government: What are officials doing. Literally, what do they do? For example, getting to know the county freeholders better.
State workers
Taxes
Small businesses
New development and construction
Innovation and invention
Arts initiatives
Philanthropy
Nonprofits
The Princeton participants told us they want more real-time information. They want more good news — especially out of traditionally bad-news towns like Trenton and Camden. They want to know about neighbors helping neighbors, local heroes, successful schools.
At the same time, we also heard: Challenge us to see something more than our immediate communities. Many participants want to see analysis, depth, maybe some longer-form journalism. They don’t want simple political and legislative coverage. If there’s a disagreement, explain the disagreement. Don’t just report what legislators want; explain what the results will be. It can be hard tom keep pace with executive and legislative agendas. Help us sort hype from fact, they said, and let us hear opposing viewpoints.
There are two remaining town halls:
Wednesday, April 25Lyceum Hall Center for the Arts432 High StreetBurlington, NJ 080167–9 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)RSVP »
Monday, May 14Cherry Hill Public Library1100 Kings Highway NorthCherry Hill, NJ 080347–9 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.)RSVP »
What facts do you want to know? What debates do you want to be aired? Help us shape our coverage of South Jersey.
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