As a nonprofit news organization, Dallas Free Press is strictly nonpartisan, but we aren’t completely objective. We are unabashedly biased toward the two neighborhoods we cover — South Dallas and West Dallas — and the voices of the people who live in them.
Our editorial strategy centers around this bias and our commitment to community, civic and solutions-oriented journalism:
- Community assets: Too many stories told about South Dallas and West Dallas focus on crime and blight. We’re not going to sugarcoat the problems, but we want to highlight the good news that doesn’t receive enough coverage.
- Follow-ups: What our neighbors appreciate most from us is not just the big announcements but paying attention to what happens next — whether promises made were kept, whether big initiatives that launched made any difference, whether the people a program intended to help actually benefited.
- Civic explainers: We know you’re tired of the he-said, she-said political stories. We are, too. We subscribe to the citizen’s agenda, and we’ll create content to answer questions such as: What’s the rezoning process, and how can I make my voice heard before a decision is made? How do I obtain the title to my property so I can apply for home repair funds or tax discounts?
- In-depth civic projects: It takes time to dig deep into problems and unearth solutions. Our community journalism will inform the topics we choose to tackle, and we’ll work with experienced journalists and collaborative partners to tell these stories well and widely.
- Neighborhood events and resource maps: Where can I enroll my child in an after-school program or pick up a free bag of fresh produce? What’s happening in my neighborhood this month? We curate neighborhood event calendars and resource maps that we also share via our social media and text messaging platforms.
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