Join the Manchester Mirror Community Reporter Corps

Would you like to help expand coverage of township issues in the Manchester Mirror? Join the Manchester Mirror Community Reporter Corps!

Within the Manchester Mirror coverage area are four townships, the village, and the school board. That’s six units of government meeting (at least) monthly, as well as a wide array of committees, commissions, and other supporting events. Every one of these meetings SHOULD be covered by a journalist. We do our best, but given our limitations, we have only been able to pursue specific stories, rather than the consistent, month-by-month coverage that these meetings require. Because of this, we are turning to the community!

We are forming a Community Reporting Corps. Anyone who already attends governmental board meetings or is looking for a reason to start attending and is willing to write up a fact-based summary of the meeting is invited to volunteer. We are in particular looking for volunteers to attend and cover Bridgewater Township, Freedom Township, Sharon Township and Manchester Township meetings but are open to coverage of any meeting.

Manchester Township resident Sybil Kolon has stepped forward to volunteer to cover some meetings herself and to coordinate volunteers for other meetings. Sybil can help you sign up to cover as few or as many meetings as you would be willing to attend of the government body of your choice. We will equip you with a recording device to aid you. Your participation can be as brief, or as extensive, as you wish. Joining the Mirror’s Community Reporter Corps is an opportunity to document our local government in action, to get more involved with your local newspaper, and to help serve the community in an essential way.

If you are interested in joining the Community Reporter Corps email themanchestermirror@gmail.com or call 734-328-1386 and Sybil will get in touch with you!

The Manchester Mirror was founded as a community paper and is run by volunteers. While we are privately owned, we are not a profit-focused business. We believe in the essential mission of a free press in a democracy and the power of free communication to help hold together and strengthen our community.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.