Since May 2020, The Land has told stories from Cleveland’s neighborhoods. We are a reader-supported nonprofit news organization that produces in-depth solutions journalism to foster accountability, inform the community, and inspire people to take action.
Since our founding in May 2020 and the launch of thelandcle.org in August of that year, The Land’s newsroom has researched, written and published more than 900 stories. Readership has steadily increased since then and The Land’s stories at thelandcle.org have been read nearly 1 million times by 700,000 unique individuals.
How is The Land amplifying Cleveland voices?
The Land has trained 75 people through its community journalism program to publish local news about their communities. Why? The Land is committed to increasing civic engagement and covering under-reported neighborhoods from the ground up. Since 2022, when the first community journalist training cohort graduated, more than eighty stories have been written about more than twenty different neighborhoods. Our aim is to have community journalists covering every Cleveland neighborhood.
Who’s reading The Land?
Each month, some 60,000 people read The Land’s content across its digital footprint.
Clevelanders rely on The Land to:
- Highlight stories from Cleveland neighborhoods that get overlooked by other media outlets
- Bridge the gaps in reporting on Cleveland neighborhoods
- Help fellow Clevelanders develop the skills to report on their neighborhoods through The Land’s community journalism program
Who reads The Land? Most readers:
- Fall in the 25 – 54 age range
- Live in the city of Cleveland. The top 5 neighborhoods are Edgewater, Ohio City, Union Miles, Westpark and Collinwood
According to our most recent audience survey, our readers choose us to:
- Get reliable local news
- Connect to their neighbors
- Stay up-to-date with what’s happening in Cleveland
- Learn something new or understand a different perspective
- Get involved in issues and take action
What kind of impact are we having on people who read The Land?
- 71% learn something new
- 45% share The Land’s articles with their contacts
- 24% take action or get involved in an issue as a result of reading The Land
What are readers saying about The Land?
“I’ve been sharing articles from The Land quite regularly because they are relevant to my interests and educational for people I’d like to engage in those interests.”
“My heart is for the city and I will be reading The Land to decide how I can make a difference.”
“Loving the stories and humanity emerging from @Landof CLE’s community journalism program, including this one about Miss Hattie Mae Holifield.”
Reader feedback on the impact of The Land’s journalism
T and L Christian Bookstore has anchored East Cleveland community for nearly 60 years
“A partnership happened because of this story. It is really a breath of fresh air to hear positive stories about East Cleveland.” —Melissa J.
‘Do I eat that day?’ Cost of public transit burdens Cleveland job-seekers, GED students
“City council members and department heads thanked me for contacting them and mentioned their views on the issues. And, great job on seeing the ‘main’ news outlets following up on some of your work!” —Diane H.
Cleveland resident’s petition takes aim at requirement that block party organizers hire off-duty police
“We were able to come together as a city to demand an ordinance amendment and it passed unanimously. News coverage in The Land built awareness and momentum.” —Angelo T.
Cleveland nonprofit prepares students for future environmental careers
“The Land is raising awareness of environmental justice within the broader conversation. We appreciate the effort and attention to such an important issue. We appreciate The Land. Please continue the great work.” —SeMia B.
Who’s talking about The Land?
News mentions in 2023
- New senior housing project in Collinwood illustrates need for more affordable units across Ohio (Ideastream Public Media)
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy: Partnering with news organizations, hosting fellowships and covering nonprofits and charities since 1988 (Editor and Publisher)
- Mandy Kraynak and Lee Chilcote win Cleveland Press Club awards (The Land)
- Food Pantries and Corner Stores Aren’t Enough: Cleveland’s Central Neighborhood Deserves a Grocery Store (clevescene.com)
- Brown demands Norfolk Southern fix the Lake Avenue bridge in Cleveland (Senator Sherrod Brown press release links to community journalist Niki Hudson’s article: It’s more than derailments: crumbling Norfolk Southern bridges need attention, too)
- Honoring Miss Hattie (Signal Cleveland)
- Local initiative aims to rev up Cleveland’s ‘circular’ economy (Public News Source)
- Welcome to Cleveland: a new path for international entrepreneurs to build businesses here (Nola.com)
- New York landlords promise to fix Shaker Square apartment buildings at meeting with frustrated tenants (Scene)
News mentions in 2022
- As Ohio welcomes refugees, a nonprofit gives them a boost (AP News, The Washington Post, others)
- Iced out: Halloran Ice Rink, youth hockey mostly quiet amid building issues, leadership controversy (Scene)
- Power to the pedestrian: new HAWK signal in University Circle lets walkers tell cars to stop (Ideastream)
- Paul’s Serv-Rite Food Market is a cornerstone of community in the Central neighborhood (Signal Cleveland)
- New pedestrian signal in University Circle adds to push for safer streets in Cleveland (Ideastream)
- How Cleveland’s circular economy programs help reduce waste and build jobs (Next City)
- Why Millions of Americans Will Be Left Out of the Midterms (The Marshall Project)
- Efforts are underway to address vacant lots in Cleveland, and the complaints about them (Ideastream)
- Sharing skills outside the newsroom: How “? Public Records Are Power ?” opened journalists’ knowledge to audiences (solutionsjournalism.org)
- Cuyahoga County ADAMHS Board removed ‘racism’ from their anti-racist statements. Does it matter? (Ideastream)
- Cleveland businesses go “green” with deconstruction rather than demolition (Ideastream)
News mentions in 2021
- Northeast Ohioans who are already embracing a ‘circular economy’ ahead of a citywide push (Ideastream)
- The demand for money behind many police traffic stops (NY Times)
- The Land selected for Meta Journalism Project (Newsbreak)
- Green space coalition tries to impact mayoral race in Cleveland (Ideastream)
- Who tried to buy Sandra Williams out of the Cleveland mayoral race? (Scene)
- KSU profile: Zaria Johnson, intern, Ask The Land Environmental Reporting Project
- What is we turned empty offices into housing? (The Land cited in the Boston Globe)
- Creating a more just environment for all: Ask The Land environmental justice reporting project
- Reporting by The Land and NEOSOJO leads to $50k donation to Slavic Village development
- Collaboration is key — local media systems working together (Cleveland Foundation)
- Open source solutions journalism: How it works (KSU/Clark Kents blog)
- Make Your World More podcast with Charlotte Morgan and Lee Chilcote
News mentions in 2020
- Reynolds Journalism Institute announces finalists for annual student innovation competition (RJI)
- Forum discusses alternatives to existing news organizations (Crain’s)
- Reimagining Journalism: New kids on the block in Greater Cleveland (City Club)
- The Land brings nonprofit journalism model to Cleveland (CoolCleveland.com)
- How colleges are stepping up to help students during Covid-19: WKSU interview w/The Land’s Asha Fairley
- The Land accepted into first cohort of Nonprofit News Springboard program (INN)
- Local news ecosystem is taking root in Northeast Ohio (Crain’s Cleveland Business)
- Why changes to the Plain Dealer matter for local journalism (Cleveland Magazine)
- Four new local online pubs to follow (Cleveland Magazine)
