What We Do
Resolve Philly is a new kind of local newsroom — one that is designed for community impact. We strongly believe this is a model for the future of local news.
We center our work around news and information that is for and with our community rather than just about them. We are committed to maximizing access to news and information for all, providing comprehensive coverage of the most critical issues impacting communities through collaborative reporting, and understanding the information needs of communities across Philadelphia in order to produce relevant and impactful stories.
Who we serve
As a newsroom, Resolve often talks of its “communities” more than its “audience.” This word choice is intentional, as it moves us as a journalism organization from a traditional transactional framing to one centered in relationship building and co-creation. When we say “our priority communities” we are referring to those who have been long excluded — or harmed — by traditional media narratives. Specifically, we prioritize serving the information needs of the following groups in Philadelphia and surrounding areas: Black, brown, and immigrant communities, those who work low-wage jobs, those in unsafe and unstable housing, and the disabled community.
Our Mission
To develop and advance journalism rooted in equity, collaboration, and the elevation of community voices.
Our Vision
We imagine a Philadelphia in which residents have unfettered access to news and information that is action-oriented, accurate, authentic, and reflects the wealth of assets held among our communities.
We imagine a world in which long-marginalized groups around the globe are able to thrive — because journalism in their area prioritizes community participation, inclusive information access, and collaborative coverage.
Our Strategy
We center three principles in our work that allow us to cultivate more informed and engaged communities and demonstrate how news can better serve those communities when rooted in solutions and community voices.
1
Community-Responsive and Participatory Journalism
Our newsroom’s commitment to understanding the information needs of the communities we serve is at the core of our journalistic ethos. We actively listen to the concerns, interests, and questions of Philadelphia residents, treating their feedback as a compass guiding our reporting efforts. We embrace participatory journalism as a means to actively involve the community in the news creation process. It’s not just about us telling stories; it’s about co-creating narratives with our communities.
2
Bridging the Information Divide
We work to ensure equitable access to news and information, leaving no one uninformed or disconnected from crucial stories or resources that may be needed to survive and thrive in Philadelphia. Our commitment to bridging the information divide goes beyond traditional news delivery; we meet people where they are by finding and utilizing distribution channels based on the preferences and needs of diverse communities.
3
Collaborative Journalism
Collaboration lies at the core of our newsroom’s values and principles, reflecting our commitment to equity, collaboration, and the elevation of community voices and solutions. All of our editorial work aims to be additive in the abundant and dynamic Philadelphia local news ecosystem. Collaborative journalism allows us to tap into the diverse expertise of our colleagues and foster a culture of shared knowledge while also addressing blind spots that may arise from individual biases or limited perspectives.
Our History
Resolve Philly grew out of a collaborative reporting project around reentry from prison, a critical issue facing Philadelphia. From 2016 to 2018, 13 newsroom partners produced approximately 200 stories, an unprecedented collaboration in solutions journalism that brought attention to this previously underreported topic.
With funding from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, Resolve Philly formed as a nonprofit in 2018 to house Broke in Philly, a second collaborative reporting project that began in 2018 and wrapped up in June 2023. The collaborative expanded to more than two dozen partners that produced more than 3,000 stories in its five years.
In the years since, Resolve has grown from its two co-founders to over 20 full-time staff, and our collaborative reporting project has grown to include 30 newsroom partners publishing in six languages, now known as the Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative. PJC’s current editorial focus aims to uncover the inner workings of systems and structures that affect the daily lives of Philadelphia residents.