Outlier Media - American Journalism Project

Outlier Media is a Detroit-based service journalism organization. Its reporters identify, report, and deliver valuable information to empower residents to hold landlords, municipal government, and elected officials accountable for long-standing problems.

Outlier’s core product is an SMS service that texts critical information to residents and allows them to connect directly with a reporter by sending in questions, tips, and information needs.

With support from the American Journalism Project, Outlier aims to grow dramatically, building out a Detroit newsroom with investigative and accountability reporters and embedding their SMS service model in newsrooms across the country.

Leaders

Candice Fortman

Executive Director

Candice Fortman has turned her love for all things media into a career focused on diversifying newsrooms and journalistic organizations to reach beyond traditional news audiences. Before joining Outlier Media, Candice was the marketing and engagement manager for WDET 101.9-Detroit’s NPR station. Candice led the effort to build WDET’s audience and grow the station’s digital communities and content by engaging listeners around news, music, and culture.
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Sarah Alvarez

Founder and Editor

Sarah Alvarez started her career in civil rights law in New York but is much happier as a journalist than she ever was as a lawyer. Before founding Outlier Media, she worked as a senior producer and reporter at Michigan Radio, the statewide NPR affiliate. Sarah believes journalism is a service and should be responsive to the needs of all people.
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