Eric Ortiz

What can we build when we stop waiting for someone else to build it for us? I’ve been thinking about that question a lot. We often talk about what our communities need. More affordable …

It’s city budget season. You know what that means. No one’s happy. Something is getting cut. Something is getting funded. And someone doesn’t like it. You can’t please everyone. …

“The mind can circumvent all obstacles to action, and turn them to the furtherance of its main purpose, so that any impediment to its work becomes instead an auxiliary, and the barriers in its path …

I’ve been thinking about phonies again. Not because of social media. Not because of politics. Because of "The Catcher in the Rye," a book I first read in Mr. Caldwell’s ninth-grade English …

What’s unfolding in Minneapolis shows why communities need trusted journalism systems in place before a crisis hits. The first casualty of war is the truth—unless truthtellers are on the ground. In Minnesota, they are. And they are reporting what they see. Over the past month of federal immigration enforcement operations across Minneapolis, St. Paul, andContinue reading "How Communities Are Preserving the Public Record When Traditional Systems Fall Short"

Mental health conversations don’t begin with statistics.

Resilience isn’t something we build alone.

Big things start small. A conversation. A drawing. A student imagining flowers outside a school entrance. Sometimes, a garden begins long before the first seed touches the soil. At …

Problems are a call to action. It's time to act. In my April column for Southwest Voices, " War, taxes, and the power of local change ," we asked residents to help shape the future of …

Stress isn’t just something we feel. It shapes how we think, respond, and grow.

El estrés no es solo algo que sentimos. Moldea cómo pensamos, respondemos y crecemos.

It’s tax season. So do you like how your tax dollars are being spent? Many Americans don’t. As of early April 2026, the Iran war has cost United States taxpayers over $42 billion, …

A field update from Minneapolis on what local publishers everywhere are learning: accountability now depends on resourced networks, not press releases. Field Update Across the country, local publishers are being asked to cover fast-moving enforcement activity, protests, and public safety incidents with fewer reporters, tighter timelines, and higher stakes. In that gap, communities are increasinglyContinue reading "When communities build the public record"

What Wisconsin reveals about the future of local journalism—and why rebuilding starts with the audience. Wisconsin offers one of the clearest pictures of where local journalism stands today. From Milwaukee to rural communities, traditional newsrooms no longer meet the demand for hyperlocal information. But outlets like Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service (NNS) show what does work—reportingContinue reading "The Local News Crisis Is an Audience Crisis"

Across Illinois, one pattern was clear: journalism exists—but many people don’t see it, use it or trust it. Instead, they build their own information networks through social media, group chats, community leaders and everyday interactions. Illinois residents are eager for inclusive, trusted, community-centered journalism. As Danielle Williams, a 48-year-old Black woman from Chicago’s West TownContinue reading "Illinois shows the real gap: Reach, not just reporting"

The first casualty of war is truth. Unless truthtellers are on the ground. Minneapolis has an army of them. And they've been relentless. Over the past several months, residents across the city …

Original research by The Pivot Fund investigates the local news landscape in Michigan.

Food is more than fuel. It is memory. It is culture. It is brain health. And it is justice.

Schools talk about preparing students for the real world. But learning often gets stuck in worksheets, test prep, and abstract concepts. Knowledge is delivered without ever asking students to act. …

La comida no es solo combustible. Es cultura, conexión, y poder cerebral.