Democrat and Chronicle stories that made a difference in 2023
Missing children. Unplanted trees. Dangerous traffic spots.
These are among many real-world, close-to-home community issues and needs where Democrat and Chronicle reporters and photographers helped make a difference in 2023.
Let’s take a look:
Tree planting
Democrat and Chronicle reporter Justin Murphy reported during 2022 in an effort supported by the Annenberg Foundation on how poorer Rochester neighborhoods have far fewer trees planted than more-well-off sections of the city. His work pointed out how these disparities date back more than a century and how the lack of shade on streets and sidewalks is really a public health issue.
His work led to greater awareness of the need to plant more trees in poorer neighborhoods and helped spur not only tree-planting plans but grants to carry out those plans. Specifically, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., came to Rochester to plant a tree himself and would eventually announce some $3 million in federal funds to help plant thousands more.
Missing children
Madison Scott, a 2023 SUNY Brockport journalism graduate and an intern in recent years both for USA TODAY and the Democrat and Chronicle, focused coverage on how police handle missing children’s cases, finding that often missing Black teens are deemed to be runaways whose disappearance isn’t treated as a priority for investigators.
In the wake of this important work, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation late in 2023 to establish a task force on missing girls and women who are Black, Indigenous or people of color. Rochester lawmakers and advocates had sent a letter calling for the action earlier in the year and in the wake of Scott’s coverage.
A new crosswalk
Community safety reporter Kayla Canne wrote of the tragic death of 6-year-old Ryan “R.J.” Grantham Jr., struck and killed by a truck on Thurston Road. The death galvanized 19th Ward residents to call for traffic-safety measures.
By autumn, city officials had installed a new crosswalk and bench near the intersection where R.J. died.
Free food stands
Canne also wrote a year ago about free food stands in Rochester and their role in alleviating food insecurity in the 14621 ZIP code, which includes many poorer neighborhoods north of downtown and in northeast Rochester.
Spurred by publication of the story, parishioners at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Brighton sponsored a Lenten Food Drive last year to provide donations to those free food stands.
“We thought you should know this if only to show that despite all of the criticisms showered on the media, you folks do ‘good work’ in highlighting community needs -- and that your work can be and is, effective,” stated a note to Canne written by Lourdes food drive coordinator Richard Sullivan.
Historical Society open house
Canandaigua Daily Messenger Mike Murphy worked helpfully with the West Bloomfield Historical Society to ensure the society’s open house notice would be published last autumn in both the Messenger and the D&C.
Suzanne Washburn of the Historical Society subsequently wrote Murphy a thank-you note: “The day of the event, folks came by from some distance, reporting that they had read about us in the D & C ‘Things to Do this Weekend.’ We did not expect many visitors considering the bad weather that day and the Bills game that ran at the same time. However, we had 20 people, some from places like Pittsford, Gates, and Batavia, as well as Ontario County and our own town. Several said it just ‘sounded like fun.’ Our season of public events has now ended, but wanted you to know that your work does make a difference.”
Newspapers have impacts both large and small. Looking forward to how our journalists will seek to serve local communities here in 2024.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Impact journalism by Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
