Recovery News and Information for Puerto Rico

Since our last update, the Internews team has been continuing its community listening and reporting efforts and has also expanded to building formal community network throughout Puerto Rico. Here are some highlights of the last few months:

Citizen correspondent reporting

Our overarching goal is to highlight post-hurricane life in communities through storytelling while also providing the reader with insight into how individuals are dealing with various issues. These stories are published on our Medium page: Contigo: Experiencias Comunitarias (With you: Community Experiences).

Internews' community network

We've spent most of the summer recruiting members to join our community network, which was sparked by our successful gathering of concerned citizens and NGO and INGOs representatives in June. Communities from the southeastern portion of Puerto Rico, through the center and San Juan, and across to the northwestern area are now connected through an active WhatsApp channel and are sharing information daily. 

In mid-September, network members convened in Arecibo to discuss the ongoing recovery, exchange information, present storm preparation workshops, and plan for future activities. The Internews team is currently producing a video and report on the event. We are meeting again in mid-October for an all-day community information exchange in Maunabo. Our vision is to ensure network sustainability. 

INGO group

In late spring, our Puerto Rico director, Justin Auciello, joined a group of INGO representatives that meet regularly in San Juan to discuss ongoing recovery work, storm preparation, and resiliency. 

The most powerful aspect of the group, just like our community network, is information sharing and coordination. In the event of another emergency -- we've already been tested by Hurricane Dorian and now, Tropical Storm Karen -- the group has a protocol that will go into effect and allow all member organizations to collaborate on the response. The Internews team will immediately tap our community network to understand issues on the ground throughout the island and assist with information gathering and the flow of critical "news you can use."

WALO Radio 

Internews provided support to WALO Radio, which has the largest reach in the region where Hurricane Maria made landfall, through late July to produce data-driven radio and digital reports surrounding the recovery topics of health, mental health, food security, and economic development. The reporting has led to increased awareness of ongoing gaps in the hurricane recovery. 

El Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (The Center for Investigative Journalism)

In late May, Internews sponsored a data journalism training/workshop held by The Center for Investigative Journalism to train both the organization's members and journalists from outlets throughout the island on cutting-edge investigative reporting techniques. Journalists then developed their ideas, worked with subject matter experts in the health, mental health, food security, and economic development fields, and received scholarships to undertake their work. The goal? To expose gaps in the ongoing recovery. The first report, published in mid-September, found that Puerto Rico's mental health patients in Puerto Rico's criminal system have largely been forgotten -- a situation that has worsened since the hurricane. 

Facebook: "Information as Aid" page

For almost two years, Internews has been publishing daily content on the "Information as Aid - Puerto Rico" Facebook page. We continue to provide critical "news you can use" and have been active with storm preparation with efforts in advance of Hurricane Dorian and Tropical Storm Karen. 

We are grateful for the GlobalGiving community support that has allowed us to continue our recovery information work! 

Over the last three months the team has continued its local reporting on health, mental health, food security, and economic development, with stories shared through the InfoAsAid Facebook page, via WhatsApp subscribers, and a monthly newsletter. In addition, reports are also available to read on a Medium page, Contigo: Experiencias Comunitarias (With you: Community Experiences), and are broadcast each week on WALO FM.

In late May and early June, we sponsored a three-day data journalism training with fellow INGO NetHope and hosted by the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (Center for Investigative Journalism), Puerto Rico's only investigative outlet. A noted data journalist led the training, which also featured presentations by experts in the themes of health, mental health, food security, and economic development. Attendees learned about the mechanics of data journalism, submitted proposals on investigative pieces across the four themes, and of those selected, are currently producing reports that are projected to be published across Centro de Periodismo Investigativo's syndication network by early August. 

In late June we co-sponsored an all-day community information exchange event with NetHope, bringing together residents and local leaders across our focus communities and representatives of other INGOs (including Oxfam, International Medical Corps, and World Center Kitchen) to discuss their experiences, needs, and ideas for collaboration. We are currently in the early stages of assembling an information sharing network across Puerto Rico. 

And the project recently joined a consortium of representatives of mainly INGOs and some local NGOs that formed in early 2019. The monthly meetings are an opportunity discuss relevant topics including preparation for the current hurricane season, and to spur collaboration. The meetings have led us to building closer relationships with fellow humanitarians that will lead to additional opportunities to ensure the flow of trusted information throughout Puerto Rico. At our recent community gathering in San Juan, some of the people featured in recent articles were able to attend, speak on their experiences, and meet representatives of INGOs that are currently providing services in Puerto Rico.

Thank you again for supporting InfoAsAid Puerto Rico!