Fall 2024: Uncovering Cop Cities
Hello! Welcome to Uncovering Cop Cities, the research and pitching component of your Investigative Podcasts Journey.
Since 2021, the city of Atlanta has been pushing to build a $90 million police training facility. Due to the history of APD, policing in general, the effects this would have on the environment, etc., there has been a strong Stop Cop City movement from the beginning.
As of 2024, only three US states have no plans to create a cop city. Most recently, Mayor Eric Adams has expressed a desire to build a cop city in Queens, NYC. This is a nationwide issue that affects most of the people in the US.
In this journey, you’ll collaborate as a production team to produce a podcast series about the Cop City project that includes research, pitching episodes, outlining episodes, hosting the podcast, and editing. We’ll try to understand why these cop cities are popping up, why people are resisting their construction, and different ideas around what makes a community “safe.” Great for mentees who are interested in social justice, journalism, and podcasting.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the fundamentals and challenges of journalism
- Prepare a pitch that indicates knowledge of audience, topic, and themes
- Understand what Cop City is and the movement opposing it
- Learn how to apply independent research strategies
Requirements
Coursework
Complete each lesson in the Uncovering Cop Cities course, which will take place over cycle 1 and cycle 2. As you progress through each lesson, make sure to press complete before moving on to the next.
Mentorship
You are in one of the following pair types. You pair type is listed on your GWN Portal profile.
- Mentor/Mentee: Meet 1-2 x per month and as a pair attend two of the engagement events listed below during the course of the cycle.
- Peer-to-Peer: Meet 2 x per month and as a pair attend two of the engagement events listed below during the course of the cycle.
Engagement Types
- Course Meeting
- Genre/Media Workshops
Submissions
Submit at least one episode pitch.
Asynchronous Coursework
New sections on podcast production will be posted for the second cycle.
- February 1, 2025: Podcast Production
Engagement Dates
- October 19, 2024: Orientation Studio
- November 16, 2024: Journey Meeting
- December 7, 2024: Unpacking the Resources
- January 25, 2025: Research Activity + Brainstorming Session
Please check the Announcements tab for information on upcoming live events.
Submissions
In the “Pitching an Episode” lesson, click the link for the pitch Google Form. Please fill it out thoroughly. Your pitch is due January 31.
Link to girlswritenow.org/stories/submit/ for instructions on submitting material through the portal.
Curriculum
- 4 Sections
- 13 Lessons
- Lifetime
- Journalism 1014
- Pitch Guide3
- Cop City 1014
- Cop City 1022
Instructor
