What is humane reporting?

Humane reporting is a new style of journalism that focuses on the personal stories behind broader political and social issues. It strives to tell stories from the bottom up, emphasizing the voices of people actually affected by the issues. Humane reporting means providing a thorough context, offering elements such as country fact sheets or behind-the-scenes writing about the reporting process. We integrate this bottom-up, context-saturated approach into all of our work. We see journalism as a public service and humane reporting as a means of helping to re-establish trust between people and the media in a time when too many are cynical about the motives and credibility of journalists.

What do you mean by a “common language”?

We see the potential for journalists to act as a cultural bridge. Where mainstream media too often report from a distant and clinical perspective or objectify those touched by the issues with a cliched superficial style, we want to make real human connections with sources and communities and, through our reporting, pass those connections on to our audience.

We believe that journalism can help foster dialogue among people engaged in common struggles across the political, geographic, ethnic and linguistic barriers that divide them: that people on the ground in any country or culture often have more in common with one another than with the political leaders, businesspeople or celebrities who are said to represent them. The CLP wants to encourage that conversation.

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What kind of work do you produce?

We are a multimedia organization, offering written articles, blogs, video, and radio stories. We strive to tell stories in many different forms. While many pieces are published separately in other media outlets, we also consolidate our work here on this website, where our audience can experience several media elements in one place. See our story on water and sanitation in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi Kenya, for an example.

Do you accept submissions?

Yes, we do...in a way. We can accept a limited number of project proposals for collaborations between new contributors and CLP journalists, and we can act as a fiscal sponsor for freelance journalists seeking nonprofit status. Visit our submissions page for details and how to propose a project.

Where has CLP work been published/broadcast?

CLP articles, radio, video and photography have been published or broadcast in or on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The San Francisco Chronicle, BBC Focus on Africa Magazine, 51% The Women's Perspective, Living on Earth, The World Vision Report, KUOW 949 Seattle, The East African, SGI Quarterly, PBS's Frontline World, PBS's Foreign Exchange with Daljit Dhaliwal, Yin Radio, Global Policy Forum, 1h4o.org, NPR's Morning Edition, The Daily Nation, PRI's The World, Earthwalkers, AlterNet, Women's eNews, the Nature Stories Podcast, YouTube, Listen Up Northwest, The Indypendent, $pread Magazine, IndyKids, Glimpse Abroad, The Times of Central Asia, Seattle IMC, Fault Lines, The Melbourne IMC, PukhtunWomen, World Hum, The New Hampshire IMC, Infoshop News, Mines and Communities, Riverfront Times, KI Media, sexworkeurope.org, The Providence Journal, Brave New Traveler, World Peace Emerging, The Seattle Weekly, WBEZ Chicago/Chicago Public Radio and Village 900 Global Roots Radio. See our 2008 Water Wars Placement page and the Pakistan: Hearts and Minds Placement Page for recent details.

What else do you do?

While in the U.S. we cover underreported social justice stories in the Seattle area. We also offer media education services, including media literacy workshops and make-your-own media classes to students from middle school to the graduate level throughout the Seattle area and all over the country, and follow each reporting project up with classroom visits to explore the stories we've covered with students. Visit our Education page for details, or write to education@clpmag.org. And don't miss our latest education initiative, the Water Wars Global Gateway, a collaboration with the Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting.

Who is your audience?

Our readers are global citizens frustrated with one-dimensional corporate media. Our audience is truly interested in understanding and connecting with people from around the world and feels that independent media have a vital role to play in fostering international communication and in defining the issues that make the news. We are a media source for a new generation of news consumers. About half of our web audience is based in the United States; the other half comes from all around the globe.

Where have you been?

In 2006, we were in Thailand , Cambodia, India, Pakistan , Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan , Israel and Palestine. In 2007, we reported from Washington State. In 2008, we reported from Eastern Africa - Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. In 2009, we reported on education issues and the refugee crisis in Pakistan.

How is the CLP funded?

Because we believe that media sources should be beholden only to their readers, we do not accept any advertising or ever sell subscriber information, and the bulk of our funding comes from direct reader support. International reporting doesn’t have to be an expensive venture, and small contributions can go a long way. If you’d like to donate to the CLP, please visit our Support page. Our 2008 Water Wars project and 2009 Pakistan: Hearts and Minds project were funded by the Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting and the Foundation for Global Community is supporting this year's operational costs. We are always seeking grants from like-minded foundations in order to expand our scope and reporting staff. If you know of a funding opportunity that might be a good fit, please write to us at info@clpmag.org.