Your Voices Count, San Jose, CA 1995

Partners:

San Jose Mercury News
KNTV (ABC) 
KPIX-TV (CBS) 
KIVE and KARA Radio
Santa Clara Public Libraries

Solid investigative journalism documented the problem of special-interest money corrupting the California State Assembly,but the Mercury News turned to civic journalism to ensure that its investigation had impact. At the end of its hard-hitting “Legislature for Sale” project, the paper asked citizens to volunteer to learn more about and become involved in, the legislative process. Some 200 people responded, and about 75 stayed with the project through the 1995 legislative session.

“Your Voices Count” kicked off June 18 with a front-page story in the Mercury News and a three-part series on KNTV. The paper then held a seminar where experts taught the volunteers the basics of the legislative process and sent the group to Sacramento to observe the process first hand.

The group broke into four teams: accountability, civic involvement, structural reform and campaign finance. They created a “Legislative Statement of Accountability,” which they asked all legislators and candidates to sign, and a Web site to help citizens research legislation. Members sponsored a televised Citizens Inquiry Panel and produced a town hall meeting with eight legislators answering questions from an audience of more than 500 people.

The project was not without controversy. Some traditional journalists accused the paper of crossing the line of detached observer in reporting on the activities of a citizen activist group that it had created. Mercury News editors responded that part of the paper’s role was in helping citizens become more active civic participants. The citizens group continued work after the project ended.

Contacts:

Kim Alexander
Executive Director
California Voter Foundation
2401 L Street, 2nd floor
Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: (916) 325-2120
Email:kimalex@netcom.com

Jerry Ceppos
Executive Editor
San Jose Mercury News
750 Ridder Park Dr. 
San Jose, CA 95190
Phone: (408) 920-5456

Jonathan Krim (Former Mercury News Project Editor) 
Business Reporter
The Washington Post
1150 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20071