Cleveland Documenters
Signal Cleveland’s Documenters program trains and pays Greater Clevelanders to attend local public meetings and monitor our elected officials, in collaboration with Signal’s journalists.
Join the Documenters Network to get involved!
Civic reporting by Documenters
New Cleveland City Council term begins with cheers and a call for trust
Two churches and Kamm’s Corner centerpiece in line for landmark status
Greater Cleveland RTA removing DEI language to comply with federal requirements
It’s a wrap! Council finishes for 2025 with Browns stadium deal, farewells to outgoing members
Parents, students voice concerns about plan to merge, close schools
Metroparks tracking tax revenue; zoo to relocate seals and sea lions, repurpose exhibit
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Documenters keep an eye on local officials
Cleveland Documenters have taken full advantage of the public’s right to attend government meetings. As of October 2025 — five years into the program — Documenters have put more than 1,400 meetings on the record. Insights from Documenters’ coverage have informed 700-plus pieces published by Signal Cleveland, helping to get vital civic information to Greater Clevelanders.
Signal Cleveland reporters have also taken Documenters tidbits the full investigative mile. They’ve relied on Documenters coverage to track the creation of a new public safety drone policy, a policy Cleveland Police later violated. They’ve followed Documenters’ curiosity and learned how residents can use vacant lots in the city’s land bank. And they’ve leaned on Documenters’ work to shed light on otherwise little-known news, like Cleveland Metroparks turning to the Ohio Lottery to boost revenue.
Cleveland Documenters is a member of City Bureau’s Documenters Network, part of the Signal Cleveland newsroom, and is powered by Signal Ohio.
Featured Documenters
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We’re building a new public record
Stay informed
Each week, Cleveland Documenters are paid to attend public meetings held by local government agencies. Documenters take notes on what happens, and their reporting is edited by program staff.
Cleveland Documenters notes are available for anyone to read and for journalists to use in their work. (Try searching for an agency or topic you want to know more about.)
Become a Documenter
By creating a Cleveland Documenters account, you’ll immediately be able to register for free workshops and connect with other Documenters across the network.
If you’re interested in covering local public meetings, attend one of our regularly scheduled orientations, and you’ll be certified to apply for paid assignments. Just register to get started.
Meet Doug Breehl-Pitorak, Cleveland Documenters Assignment Editor
Doug started as a Cleveland Documenter himself when we launched in 2020.
In subsequent roles with us, including as our inaugural Civic Reporter, Doug realized the only thing better than learning about local government and civic participation as an individual Documenter was learning about it through the varied perspectives of all Cleveland Documenters.
As Signal Cleveland’s founding Documenters Assignment Editor, Doug leads the Cleveland program and cultivates an inviting, growth-oriented space for Documenters to ensure the work at the core of our community remains approachable, understandable, and enjoyable.
Get involved
Things to do
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