Our Results
News414 launched as COVID-19 took hold in March 2020. Despite all of the challenges, our impact in the first year surpassed all expectations. We convened community partners and distributed surveys to gather initial community input; ramped up our texting service; forged a social media strategy; and investigated, reported, and published more than a dozen news stories and resource guides. This early success tells us that Milwaukee residents value this responsive model of adding value through journalism.
700
conversations between reporters and residents
2,200
subscribers
2020
by the numbers
336,000
text messages sent
1,117
social media comments
2,718
community members completed surveys
Social Media
When community members told us they wanted our reporting simplified and more visually appealing, we started posting weekly infographics on Facebook and Instagram covering everything from how to apply for rent assistance to domestic violence resources and information.
Here are some of our most popular posts:
Follow @news414mke, @milwaukeenns and @wisconsinwatch on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook for News414 updates.
Reporting
News414 is committed to community-driven investigative journalism that exposes systemic failures and injustices, holds power to account and fuels residents in their efforts to seek solutions to community challenges.
In 2020 as the COVID-19 crisis and racial justice movement disproportionately impacted people of color living in Milwaukee’s central city neighborhoods, residents were increasingly concerned about evictions, reliable COVID-19 data, and information on civil rights and elections. In response, News414 investigated, reported, and published more than a dozen stories and resource guides dedicated to these critical topics.
A selection of daily stories from Milwaukee NNS:
- 24,000 names and counting: Rental assistance program faces a backlog. Here’s what you need to know.
- Social Development Commission continues struggle to keep up with deluge of applicants for emergency rental assistance program
- 2 agencies struggle to meet demand for Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program
- An update on how Community Advocates, SDC are meeting demand for Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program
- Milwaukee steers an additional $15 million from CARES Act into the Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program
- U.S. halts rental evictions through the end of the year
- Milwaukee’s homeless providers brace for the worst as the coronavirus creates more challenges