Getting laid off from a neighborhood newspaper last March may have been the best career move possible for Chris Roberts, San Francisco Appeal reporter who’s been independently covering city government with the help of Spot.us. Where he once had to fight tooth and nail to get important subjects in print, he now has the freedom to pursue stories of interest and share information in the matter of minutes through the ease of online reporting.

Described as “Johnny-on-the-spot” by San Francisco Weekly, Roberts seems to be wherever the story is at. Whether it’s a board of supervisors meetings, a MUNI crash site or a public hearing with Mayor Gavin Newsom, Roberts is there, digging deep, asking tough questions then making his findings public for all to see. Last week, we had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of San Francisco city government from Roberts himself. Read the edited transcript below or listen to the full interview to see for yourself.

And let’s not forget to compensate Chris for all his hard work at City Hall. Donate here to make sure we keep funding this extra set of eyes and ears to report on city government which affects us all.

Serena: So Chris, like many reporters, you were recently laid off from a neighborhood newspaper, The City Star was it? (Sorry about that, by the way), but unlike many reporters you don’t seem to be sulking at the sorry state of journalism today. In fact, you’re reporting more fervently than ever—about what you’re interested in—at that. Can you give listeners a little background about how you came to the San Francisco Appeal and how your getting laid off may have been the best career move possible for you?

Chris: I’ve been in the journalism game for about 4 years now and my lay off was at the very end of March. I had been at the City Star for about a year and a half. It’s the neighborhood daily owned by the San Francisco Examiner, which as some people know, is one of only two daily newspapers left in the city now, which is sort of sad for a city of about 800,000 people…It was a small little paper but it was pretty cool because I was the only local reporter and photographer, so whatever I did was THE story versus whatever wire content we had. So I was hoping that would be sort of a step up to the Examiner—the big league stuff—but it didn’t work out. But it was kind of serendipitous because a couple weeks before that, the San Francisco Appeal was launched, started by a former deputy manager for online content for the Chronicle. It had the same kind of vision and desire that I had, trying to not only to fill a void that was left in local coverage because so many other folks had lost their jobs, but also to give an alternative style of voice.

(more…)

On Monday make sure to catch the Public Press/KALW budget roundtable, on KALW’s “Crosscurrents” news program at 5 p.m.

You can support the work of the Public Press and their City Budget Watchdog series here.

The panel of local experts gathers for what promises to be a lively and enriching on-the-air discussion about San Francisco’s budget crisis. Tune in to 91.7 FM to hear the show, or go to the site later for an archived podcast.

Also check out the Public Press Web site for full audio, text and an interactive presentation on the city budget and its impacts on residents and communities.

On the air with host Holly Kernan will be Christopher Cook, editor of The Public Press’ City Budget Watchdog project. Guests on the panel are:

• Calvin Welch, longtime housing activist and program director of the San Francisco Information Clearinghouse
• Sharen Hewitt (former top Housing Authority advisor and executive director of the Community Leadership Academy & Emergency Response Project
• Gabriel Metcalf, executive director, San Francisco Planning & Urban Research Association

Note: This program my be modified or postponed depending on the status of the BART transit strike. Stay tuned to KALW and The Public Press for updates.

For those of you who missed Friday’s BlogTalkRadio show about Lindsey Hoshaw’s upcoming voyage to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, look no further. The show covered every thing from how Lindsey scored such an epic opportunity aboard the Algalita Marine Research Foundation vessel to how Captain Charles Moore’s voyage compares to Project Kaisei which is already out at sea, to what Lindsey hopes to uncover as the only journalist going out to the garbage patch–specifically, how this floating plastic soup affects you and me by way of the seafood we consume.

Listen to Lindsey talk about every thing she’s doing to prepare for the trip, and hear about how this Spot.us pitch has served as a shining example of what’s possible in community-funded reporting.

Below are the sites where you can keep tabs on Lindsey throughout the reporting process.

• Follow The Garbage Girl on Twitter
• Facebook Cause
• Spot.Us Pitch Page
• Spot Reporting on Flickr

Save the Date–A Garbage Girl Party!

A toxic garbage soup over twice the size of Texas sits in the Pacific Ocean, and you can help fund a reporter, “the garbage girl” to write about it! Support Spot.Us to publish her investigative story for the New York Times.

When: Saturday, August 22, 10 PM  to 2 AM
Where: New Delhi Restaurant, 160 Ellis Street, SF 94102

$15 advance tickets by donating on the facebook causes page or $20 at the door! Enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cash bar! With BradElectro spinning house, funk and space disco.

Lindsey’s travel fund is still over $1,000 short of the $10K goal needed to send her out to sea, so come meet the people involved in this story, eat, drink, dance and help send Lindsey on her way!

In case you’re like me and need frequent reminders for upcoming events, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch show is tomorrow on BlogTalkRadio! Spot.us will interview the “Garbage Girl” Lindsey Hoshaw about her impending journey to the North Pacific Gyre to document the the human impact of the giant plastic mass floating thousands of miles out to sea. Call or listen in tomorrow from 11am-12pm to learn more about this important story and historical Spot.us pitch.

When: Friday August 14, 11am-12pm

Where: The Spot.us show on BlogTalkRadio

Call-in Number: 347-945-5577

From Lindsey:

A toxic garbage soup over twice the size of Texas sits in the Pacific Ocean, and I’ve been given an opportunity to write about it for the New York Times. I’ve been offered a space aboard Captain Moore’s ship as the only journalist to chronicle this voyage. My enthusiasm for this project is only surpassed by the amazing opportunity I’ve been offered by The New York Times to publish an article and accompanying photos of my journey. Join the chat and I can address any of your questions and concerns!

Save the date! Next Friday, August 14 at 11 a.m., the Spot.Us community will have the chance to talk to the “Garbage Girl,” AKA Lindsey Hoshaw, live on BlogTalkRadio before she leaves for her expedition to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Lindsey’s pitch about the soupy mass of plastic floating in the North Pacific Gyre has turned a lot of heads and inspired donations from the likes of Pierre Omidyar, Craig Newmark, Tim O’Reilly, Jimmy Whales and Alexis Ohanian, just to name a very few. To top it off,  the New York Times has considered running the finished piece and accompanying photos, igniting an even greater buzz across the web.

Let’s bring all our questions and comments together on one platform Friday August 14 at 11 a.m. to create a community discussion around this exciting journey and historical Spot.us pitch. Wondering what Lindsey has been doing to prepare for the trip? Interested in hearing more about the garbage patch and its impact on human health? Call us at (347) 945-5577 between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. to learn for yourself.

Get the low down below. This show is not one to be missed!

When: Friday, August 14, 11:00 a.m.

Where: Listen on our BlogTalkRadio page or call in to listen, ask questions and join the conversation

Call-in Number: (347) 945-5577

With the economic depression setting in and the effects of global warming being seen all over the planet, people are having to find ways to employ themselves as well as create cost effective healthy, earth friendly alternatives to expensive fast food and cheap gmo-products. One organization helping guide residents to a more sustainable way of life is the Village Bottom Farm in West Oakland. How is this new “green consciousness” and the existence of the farm affecting a low-income, crime-ridden neighborhood like West Oakland? Tune in to find out from Block Report Radio’s Minister of Information JR, who’s covering the story.

As most people were heading to the beach or Fourth of July picnics and barbeques last Saturday, reporter Andrea de Brito joined the Spot.Us Blog Talk Radio show to provide a midway report on The Goods on Gray Water, which is on its way to getting published in the Bay Area Monitor.

Gray water is the by-product of our showers and laundry machines, which can be safely used to irrigate lawns and gardens, flush toilets and save gallons of city water. Given California’s ongoing battles with drought and water shortages, why isn’t gray water more widely in use?

One reason is the permitting process required to install gray water systems and the depth regulations for water piping in gardens, which often run too deep to benefit the plants above. However, according to de Brito, it’s much easier to use gray water in the Bay Area than in Southern California, and it may get even easier statewide as California continues revising its code.

Hear from Andrea de Brito yourself as she reports on a water recycling system that may become an essential part of California’s future.

It’s been an interesting time for the Oakland Police Department, says Alex Gronke, who has been been working to understand a police force that has taken many twists and turns since the Oakland Police Blues pitch was first proposed.

From the resignation of the police chief to the tragic death of four officers, the department has been a moving target difficult to get a hold on. Throw in a number of scandals and a budget crisis and everything’s up in the air.

Get an update from Gronke himself about the morale of the department since the police chief stepped down, life after the tragic shooting of four officers, the search for a new chief and questions of police accountability.

What’s really wrong with OPD? The reported failings of the Oakland Police Department are serious and well-known. Cops lie to obtain search warrants.

Brass assign detectives with known ties to the suspects they are investigating. On any given day, the department has an absentee rate of 30 percent. Morale is in the cellar. The current chief has taken a leave of absence, and from the outside, it’s not clear who’s running things at 445 7th Street. By interviewing current and former Oakland police officers, Oakland reporter Alex Gronke has been working to understand what’s going on with the Oakland Police, and you can too!

Get a live update about this story from reporter Alex Gronke tomorrow June 12 at 11am on our BlogTalkRadio show or call in to listen and ask questions at (347) 945-5577.

Oakland Port Commissioner Kenneth Katzoff, left, makes a point as Commissioner Anthony Batarese, center, and Commission Second Vice President Margaret Gordon listen. Katzoff and Batarese voted against passage of the Port's Comprehensive Truck Management Plan because of uncertainty about the legality of a last minute amendment, while Gordon voted for the plan. (Photo by Kim Komenich)

Tuesday June 2 was a long day of reporting for the Toxic Tour of the Bay team. The group arrived at the scene of the Oakland Port Commission meeting around 3:30pm and didn’t leave until nearly 9, only to find that the official vote on the Comprehensive Truck Management Plan–intended to cut port pollution 85 percent by 2020–was postponed until the June 16 meeting. The delay was caused in part by a recent amendment to the plan, which would ban all pre-1994 trucks from the port due to their older designs which spew more diesel exhaust than the newer trucks. Because the new amendment would change the CTMP’s requirement to retrofit all trucks that go in and out of the port to only post-1994 trucks, while banning the older ones, the commission asked for more time for review.

It was a day of mixed emotions and frustrations for environmentalists, truck drivers, Oakland residents and port commissioners alike. But even after all of that, our dedicated Spot.us reporter Kwan Booth rushed home to give us a recap on the Spot.us BlogTalkRadio show.

Get the inside scoop from Kwan Booth himself:

[vodpod id=Groupvideo.2664832&w=425&h=350&fv=]

Check out the growing body of work on this subject by our three awesome reporters at newsdesk.org/archives/toxic-tour/.

Funding for this project is 78 percent complete! You know what that means, only 22 percent and $307 to go and only you can make it happen! Donate here to support our talented reporting team as they continue to enlighten us about the environmental injustice in West Oakland.