Our Approach

Plain language is the whole point. But plain doesn't mean loose, everything we publish is built on primary sources.

How we report

We go to the source.

Court rulings, ordinances, budget documents, council records, and direct conversations with the people who write and live with these decisions. We don't rebuild our reporting out of other outlets' articles.

We show our work.

When a fact comes from a public document, we link it, so you can read it yourself.

We cover the disagreement.

When there are real sides, residents who support a development and residents who oppose it, we put both on the record and let you weigh them.

We stay in our lane.

We explain policy. We don't tell you how to vote, and we don't pretend a complicated decision is simpler than it is.

What "made plain" means

Every piece opens with the plain version first, what happened and who it affects, in two sentences before any detail. We define terms the first time we use them, because we assume you've never sat through a council meeting. And we end where it matters to you: what happens next, and what you can do about it.

When we get it wrong

We will make mistakes. When we do, we'll correct them in the open, a visible note on the piece, not a quiet edit. Accuracy matters more to us than looking right, and if you spot an error, tell us.

We'd rather publish one careful piece a month than ten quick ones we can't stand behind.