Once and Future Journalism

by Bruce Schimmel

In the world of journalism, Matt Golas is a rare bird. He's employed — and happy. He's doing what he calls "honest-to-God journalism about an under-covered subject that is critically important."

After 35 years at dailies (including the Inquirer), Golas now runs PlanPhilly (planphilly.com), an Internet news service that covers all aspects of Philadelphia's built environment — from high-rises to sewers, from preservation to restoration.

Golas and I recently chatted in the tiny courtyard outside of UPenn's Duhring Wing, which houses his one-room office. As urban design students scurried by, Golas beamed.

Heralded as a replacement for dying news organizations, PlanPhilly was just named a top-10 urban planning Web site by design and development online hub Planetizen (planetizen.com/websites/2009).

"Hot damn!" Golas exclaimed upon hearing the news. After two years, planphilly.com has more than 5,000 registered users, and averages about 25,000 unique visitors a month.

Part of PennPraxis — the "clinical arm" of Penn's School of Design — PlanPhilly is funded with an annual budget of $255,000, primarily by the William Penn Foundation.

This time, William Penn got it right. Their previous PennPraxis project, where citizens were asked to "help plan" riverfront development, was a PR wreck. PennPraxis head Harris Steinberg was forced to play master of ceremonies at a mutiny. People clamored to talk about the casinos. But such talk was forbotten, on orders from John Street's City Hall.

From that debacle, the Foundation learned that civic engagement is no replacement for unfettered journalism, and launched PlanPhilly, which they'll fund till the end of 2009.

Instead of bailing out moribund dailies, this is where our tax dollars should go. Golas and his crew of six journalists do what traditional news organizations increasingly don't, and what government agencies mostly won't.

For instance, I recently asked the Center City District about plans to remodel Dilworth Plaza. Paul Levy had presented a dog-and-pony slide show for a public meeting of the City Planning Commission.

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I asked what CCD had to share about the $45 million renovation. Nothing, came the reply. The public will know in due time, was the takeaway. Which seemed the intent of the Planning Commission, too, whose Web site also offered scant evidence of Levy's plans.

Fortunately, Golas' crew had been there, and video-taped everything. On their Web site, they also brought in expert analysis, prompting one reader to remark: "If all the public gets for $45 Mil is a funky pond, a few patches of grass, a glass/green covered stairwell and a couple of shops — I say don't bother.

"I heard how involved the local businesses were," the reader continues, "but not the public, and that bothered me the most. I think the new plans might actually be a way to 'Big Box' the plaza for them."

Tough talk for Planning Commission head Alan Greenberger, who's reportedly uncomfortable with PlanPhilly's due diligence. But Greenberger's a thoughtful fellow. He knows that engaging the public is something that journalists do. Or should.

At a seminar on new media, attended by new and old media reporters at Temple University recently, I heard grumblings about cursory coverage of essential topics.

"Except in development." I offered this audience of journalists. "The truth of the matter is that PlanPhilly is kicking our butts."

You've probably heard that reporters can be argumentative. But all I got from this veteran crew were downcast eyes and silence.

In two years, PlanPhilly, the pipsqueak on a shoestring budget, has hijacked the city's hottest beat. Thank goodness someone has.

(bruce@schimmel.com)