Addressing a critical coverage gap in local news.
We attend and document meetings in six under-covered townships across Centre County, Pennsylvania —
Benner, College, Gregg, Halfmoon, Snow Shoe, and Spring.
Centre Documenters is part of a nationwide network, dedicated to building a corps of “curious citizens” equipped with the skills necessary to support local government transparency.
Unlike journalists, documenters aren’t writing news stories or prioritizing what information they share. They documents discussions, interactions, and decisions at a meeting, add ‘notes from your documenter’ with definitions and context, and make those meeting notes available to anyone who wants them — via a newsletter, texting service, and this website.
Since September 2023, the News Lab at Penn State has recruited and trained student documenters, editors and fact-checkers. These student documenters have worked to navigate the challenges residents face when attending public meetings: cancellations, transportation, locating agendas, understanding the topics being discussed, and sometimes being the only people in attendance.
In 2025 – 2026, Centre Documenters will grow to 38 Penn State students focused on water/sewer, supervisors, planning, budgets, and school boards. We aim to document 25 meetings each month.
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