30 San Francisco Media Outlets Collaborate on Homelessness

A media blitz scheduled for June 29, 2016 will offer an unprecedented display of "solutions-oriented journalism."

1 minute read

May 17, 2016, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


San Francisco Homeless

davitydave / Flickr

Thomas Fuller reports: "Next month, media organizations in the Bay Area are planning to put aside their rivalries and competitive instincts for a day of coordinated coverage on the homeless crisis in the city."

The San Francisco Chronicle is leading the effort, but representatives from Bay Area television and radio stations, The San Francisco Examiner, Mother Jones, and online publications are included among the media outlets planning the effort. All told, 30 new organizations have confirmed their participation. "The premise of the effort is to create a 'wave' of coverage that will force politicians to come up with solutions," according to Audrey Cooper, the editor in chief of the San Francisco Chronicle, who is quoted extensively in the article.

Fuller is careful to document the collaboration's conceptual problem of crossing the line into "solutions-oriented journalism." Apparently, the idea of using the collaborative effort to propose new solutions encountered very little dissension as the participating groups planned the effort.

Mark you calendars for the big reveal of this unprecedented coordination of journalistic resources, the blitz of coverage on homelessness is scheduled for June 29.  

Sunday, May 15, 2016 in The New York Times

Aerial view of homes on green hillsides in Daly City, California.

Depopulation Patterns Get Weird

A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.

April 10, 2024 - California Planning & Development Report

Large blank mall building with only two cars in large parking lot.

Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House

If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.

April 18, 2024 - Central Penn Business Journal

Aerial view of Oakland, California with bay in background

California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million

Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.

April 11, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

Young woman and man seated on subway car looking at phones.

Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features

It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.

April 19 - BGR

Ohio state capitol dome against dramatic lightly cloudy sky.

Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production

A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.

April 19 - Daytona Daily News

Aerial view of Interstate 290 or Eisenhower Expressway in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant

Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.

April 19 - Streetsblog Chicago

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.