“Every Voice, Every Vote” to invest $1.5 million in news coverage and voter engagement for Philadelphia’s 2023 elections
Lion Dancers perform during the Mid-Autumn Festival along Philadelphia's Chinatown. The annual Mid-Autumn Festival promotes the culture and well-being of the Chinese community. Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
More than 50 media and community organizations have formed the citywide Every Voice, Every Vote coalition to put Philadelphia voters and key issues at the center of the elections for mayor and city council
As Philadelphia prepares to elect new political leadership in 2023, dozens of the city’s news media and community organizations have joined Every Voice, Every Vote, a new coalition committed to informing Philadelphians and ensuring their voices and interests are central to the campaign. The coalition is one of the largest collaborative journalism and community engagement efforts ever launched for election coverage in Philadelphia.
Every Voice, Every Vote is a project of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. The Institute is awarding $1.5 million in grants to 52 news media and community organization partners. Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Peter and Judy Leone, Harriet and Larry Weiss, and the Wyncote Foundation, among others. A full list of coalition partners is below, and to view a full list of supporters, visit www.everyvoice-everyvote.org.
The participating media and community organizations will serve every neighborhood in Philadelphia with nonpartisan, collaborative, issues-oriented journalism; gatherings with candidates; voter guides; listening sessions; and more. Every Voice, Every Vote partners will publish news stories, create voter resources, and hold events throughout the city in more than 13 different languages. The initiative is designed to help make the electoral process more accessible and to make certain that all Philadelphians have the information and tools they need to participate in a system that is intended to support everyone.
“Every Voice, Every Vote is one of Philadelphia’s most significant philanthropic investments ever in local journalism and civic engagement. Our work is focused on catalyzing the citizens of Philadelphia, from every neighborhood and community, to lift their voices and determine their own future,” said Lenfest Institute Head of Philadelphia Programs Shawn Mooring, who is leading Every Voice, Every Vote.
Twenty-five media partners will receive funding through Every Voice, Every Vote. News outlets such as ¡Presente! Media, Al Día News, Impacto, Fun Times Magazine, Love Now Media, New Mainstream Press, Philadelphia Gay News, The Philadelphia Tribune, Resolve Philly, and more will amplify the concerns and issues of importance of traditionally underserved audiences.
WURD Radio, WHYY, Billy Penn, The Philadelphia Citizen, and The Philadelphia Inquirer will provide issues-oriented news coverage, candidate interviews, debates, and town hall meetings. Green Philly and Grid Magazine will each devote reporting to sustainability issues.
Major television broadcasters including 6abc and NBC10/Telemundo62 have joined Every Voice, Every Vote to provide ongoing coverage of key issues and community engagement activities to connect with Philadelphians both on-and-off air.
All reporting produced by Every Voice, Every Vote partners will be free to access and be shared on everyvoice-everyvote.org. Every Voice, Every Vote’s editorial strategy is led by Kristin Traniello, a former public media engagement strategist, who will coordinate with media partners and support collaborative reporting.
“We are extremely excited about being a part of the Every Voice, Every Vote initiative,” said Sara M. Lomax, president and CEO of WURD Radio. “Philadelphians deserve a robust examination of all the mayoral candidates running to govern this diverse and dynamic city as it confronts tremendous challenges that are in need of creative, urgent solutions.”
The 27 Every Voice, Every Vote community group partners represent Philadelphia’s true diversity. They will play an integral role in engaging prospective voters as they launch projects that will provide voter education, promote civic engagement, and host events that will provide numerous opportunities to amplify voices. The Urban Affairs Coalition, PA Youth Vote, The Committee of Seventy, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, Congreso de Latinos Unidos, and Philadelphia Parks Alliance are just a few of the community organizations that will leverage their deep community relationships to connect with Philadelphians.
Portia Fullard is leading Every Voice, Every Vote’s community engagement work. A lifelong Philadelphian, Fullard has deep experience working with community and civic organizations across the city.
“With its explicit commitment to amplifying and centering community voices, the potential impact of Every Voice, Every Vote is significant,” said Urban Affairs Coalition CEO Sharmain Matlock-Turner. “Too often, the voices of communities with low-to-moderate income or of BIPOC communities are drowned out in the din of partisan politicking, silenced through marginalization, or not even sought. The Urban Affairs Coalition and our partners have more than a half-century of experience serving these very communities. With Every Voice, Every Vote, we will leverage that experience to assure everyone has a say in determining the issues that will be our next mayor’s priorities.”
Every Voice, Every Vote news coverage and community engagement work will begin in early 2023 ahead of the May 16 primary election. The Lenfest Institute and its partners have already undertaken comprehensive public opinion research efforts to help inform the coalition’s work. Over the past few months, Temple University’s Institute for Survey Research conducted focus groups with Philadelphia voters that informed the design of a public opinion poll by SSRS, a leading Philadelphia-based market research firm, which will be deployed across Philadelphia early this winter. The Pew Charitable Trusts partnered on the development of the survey.
Learn more about Every Voice, Every Vote and sign-up for email updates about the project at everyvoice-everyvote.org. Others interested in learning more about how to join Every Voice, Every Vote or support the project can email [email protected].
Here are the community and media organizations receiving funding through Every Voice, Every Vote:
MEDIA PARTNERS
AL DÍA News
Media Partner
A series of town halls, roundtable discussions, and reporting in partnership with several hyper local media entities and Latino-serving organizations
Chalkbeat Philadelphia
Media Partner
Education voter guide and reporting on education and voter turnout efforts
Community Voice PHL
Media Partner
Radio broadcasts and recordings of voter education content and community conversations with seniors and people with disabilities
FunTimes Magazine
Media Partner
Events centering the voices and issues of Philly’s West African and Caribbean communities
Green Philly
Media Partner
Social media campaign and events on election and sustainability topics
Grid Magazine
Media Partner
Mayoral candidate voter guide on sustainability topics
Kensington Voice
Media Partner
Civics reporting and community engagement activities for North Philly’s Fairhill, Harrowgate, Kensington, and Norris Square neighborhoods
Love Now Media
Media Partner
Pop-up storytelling booths that fuel community-centered reporting
New Mainstream Press
Media Partner
Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese-language voter guides and election coverage; voter engagement via public events and publishing on the WeChat messaging platform
Nueva Esperanza – Impacto
Media Partner
“Tu Eliges/You Decide” project, including candidate forums, podcast, and Spanish-language service, solutions, and participatory journalism distributed via print, digital, and social media
Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists
Media Partner
Candidate forum on issues important to the Black community
Philadelphia Gay News
Media Partner
Voter guides, town halls, community engagement activities and events, and reporting on issues important to the LGBTQ+ community
PhillyCAM
Media Partner
Workshops helping youth create media about civics and local elections
¡Presente! Media
Media Partner
Documentary-style videos and articles showcasing the diverse experiences of Millennial and Gen-Z Latinx voters
Resolve Philly
Media Partner
“Shake the Table”, a collaborative reporting and community engagement initiative focused on the experiences of city residents with Philadelphia’s operating departments; and the Documenters program, which trains residents to document and report on public meetings
Scribe Video Center
Media Partner
Five ongoing radio programs serving the West Philly community
Technical.ly Media
Media Partner
Election reporting and a community-created mayoral candidate questionnaire focused on “Skills of the Future” and how to support inclusive entrepreneurship and an equitable workforce
The Philadelphia Citizen
Media Partner
“The Ultimate Job Interview”, including candidate interviews, a voter guide, political reporting, and canvassing sessions
The Philadelphia Hall Monitor
Media Partner
Reporting driven by the questions of low-income Philadelphians and broadcast via web, podcast, radio, and TV
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Media Partner
Candidate interviews; reporting on public opinion polling; community events and town halls; election reporting in multiple languages
The Philadelphia Tribune
Media Partner
Election reporting and candidate debate focused on the issues of the Black community
Unified Partnerships, iHeartMedia
Media Partner
Audio and social media content that amplifies community voices and encourages civic participation
We Talk Weekly
Media Partner
Town halls and video and audio content amplifying the voices and serving the information needs of low-income Black and brown Philadelphians
WHYY
Media Partner
WHYY News, Billy Penn, and the 14 News and Information Community Exchange (N.I.C.E.) community partners will host a mayoral debate on gun violence and safety and create the “Meet Your Mayor” app, bilingual voter guides, business reporting, and multi-platform election reporting and community engagement activities
WURD Radio
Media Partner
Journalism, forums, candidate interviews, and voter engagement broadcasts mobilizing the city’s Black community
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
Alliance for a Just Philadelphia
Community Partner
Developing, translating, and distributing the People’s Platform to reflect the top issues of racially diverse working-class Philadelphians.
Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia
Community Partner
Community engagement activities with Asian-American associations and creating a voter guide translated into several languages.
Athletic Club of Fairhill
Community Partner
Two community engagement and civic information events with families in the Fairhill neighborhood
Ceiba
Community Partner
Collaboration with Latino community-based organizations in Eastern North Philadelphia’s Barrio to enhance civic education, increase voter participation, and combat misinformation
Committee of Seventy
Community Partner
Continue and expand robust suite of voter engagement activities, including WeVote, Studio C70, Poll Worker Project, BYOBallot, and How Philly Works
Congreso de Latinos Unidos
Community Partner
Social media content, digital and in-person surveys, and community ambassadors to deliver bilingual voter education and facilitate community conversations
DiverseForce
Community Partner
Two live events and a comprehensive marketing campaign to engage Black and Brown professionals and entrepreneurs
East Point Breeze Neighbors
Community Partner
Produce and distribute a nonpartisan voter guide in six languages for East Point Breeze residents
Easterseals of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Community Partner
Community listening sessions and surveys will inform an informational campaign to amplify the voices of people with disabilities.
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church
Community Partner
A series of community outreach events to increase voter engagement and interact with candidates
Friends of FDR Park
Community Partner
One-day City Civic Fair to provide accessible voting information, engage with candidates, and bring diverse communities together
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
Community Partner
A mayoral candidate forum and PHL Arts Voter Guide
Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Community Partner
A civic education campaign and candidate town halls for diverse entrepreneurs and business owners
Humanature – The Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University
Community Partner
Capturing the perspectives of 18-29 year old Black Philadelphians through multimedia content creation and community events
One PA Activists United
Community Partner
Voter registration, issue education, and candidate forums to engage Caribbean and West African immigrant communities
PA Youth Vote
Community Partner
One-year intensive project focusing on youth voter education and engagement
Pennsylvania Prison Society
Community Partner
Voter guides for incarcerated Philadelphians, their families, and people newly released from prison
Project HOME
Community Partner
Voter guides for people who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness
Philadelphia Parks Alliance
Community Partner
Forums and events addressing the impact of parks and recreation spaces on the lives of Philadelphians
Southwest Community Development Corporation
Community Partner
Two voter guides focused on issues important to residents of Southwest Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Crosstown Coalition
Community Partner
Host mayoral forum in several neighborhoods in partnership with a coalition of 38 community organizations
Why Not Prosper
Community Partner
Listening sessions, civics education, and social media campaign to increase civic engagement among current and formerly incarcerated Philadelphians
Urban Affairs Coalition
Community Partner
Community listening, public forums, public sentiment polling, community content creation to amplify community concerns and drive civic engagement
we REIGN
Community Partner
Civic information internship program for high-school-aged Black girls from West and Southwest Philadelphia
William Way LGBT Community Center
Community Partner
A series of LGBTQ+ community engagement and Know Your Rights events, peer influencer social media campaign, and activities to educate incarcerated trans folks on their voting rights
Woori Center
Community Partner
Voter registration and GOTV activities for Asian American communities
YOACAP
Community Partner
Engaging barbers and youth ambassadors as trusted community messengers
ABOUT EVERY VOICE, EVERY VOTE
Every Voice, Every Vote is a citywide coalition of Philadelphia news and community organizations committed to informing Philadelphians and ensuring their voices and interests are central to the 2023 campaigns for mayor and city council. The coalition is the largest collaborative journalism and community engagement effort ever launched for election coverage in Philadelphia.
Every Voice, Every Vote is a project of The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. The Institute is awarding $1.5 million in grants to 52 news media and community organization partners. Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute, the Wyncote Foundation, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, among others.