From executive orders and actions to leadership changes and lawsuits, the Trump administration’s blitz of bureaucracy can leave anyone’s head spinning. It’s hard to understand what all these policies and changes do or don’t do when they are all coming at you at once, when they are being challenged and withdrawn or enacted overnight.
Except, it’s not too hard to understand what our federal government’s policies do if you are directly impacted by them.
First Person Charlottesville was made for you to tell your stories. Charlottesville Inclusive Media, the partnership between Vinegar Hill Magazine, the In My Humble Opinion radio show and Charlottesville Tomorrow, wants to help the world see how things have changed for people in our central Virginia communities — from your point of view.
Has something in your life changed because of what is happening in our federal government? Do you interact with the agencies that are being reshaped? Maybe you are a federal worker, or you use services or funding that has been paused or thrown into question, or increased. Maybe you are experiencing the ways people or organizations are changing, whether they are required to change or not, in response to what is coming from the White House. Are you running an organization or company that is navigating uncertainty or is thriving in this political climate?
It’s important that we tell our stories now. Let’s help each other understand what the sea change in Washington D.C. actually means at the local level. You can tell your story in text, audio, video or photos — we’ll help you produce it.
If we are the right people to help with your story, we will pay you competitively for this important work. Essays and photographs in the First Person project are paid at a rate of $200 to $600 depending on the complexity of the story. Keep in mind that we go through a process of editing and fact-checking to make your stories as strong as possible.
If you have another story that’s not about the federal government, here’s where you can tell us about it. Have a story you think should be reported on, but that you don’t want to tell yourself? Here’s where you can reach the Charlottesville Tomorrow newsroom, here’s how to connect with Vinegar Hill Magazine, and here’s how to get in touch with In My Humble Opinion.
