News Detail
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Reporting the Nation Students on "Rebuilding Detroit"
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Date:October 19, 2011
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Description:
After months of research on topics such as development, illiteracy, urban farming, healthcare and cop suicide, 14 Reporting the Nation/Reporting New York students parachuted into Detroit and spent three days reporting on the ground. They went to affluent and blighted neighborhoods, learning about the way Detroitiers live and what issues matter the most to them. They visited schools, libraries, hospitals and the up-and-coming TechTown, talking with residents about the challenges facing their city. Working with veteran reporters from USA Today, the Detroit Free Press and other publications, journalists who have knowledge of the area and helped guide students through the quagmire of issues that affect this historic hub of the auto industry, a city that has lost a quarter of their population in the last 10 years. The project is called "Rebuilding Detroit" and comprises of 16 stories on several platform and one mini documentary.
The trip was draining, emotional and heartbreaking at times, but the work that these students produced went above and beyond all expectations. They came away with an understanding of the troubles facing many who live in U.S. cities that once thrived on manufacturing and industry. Their work will forever be affected by what they saw there, and I believe they have all come out as better people for having the chance to engage with a community that represents uncertainty, strength, hope and what it means to be an American.The students published their pieces in a collection called "Rebuilding Detroit," on Pavement Pieces. Student Nick DeSantis presents the journey "140 characters at a time" on Storify. Below is an interview with Latty on the trip.