Impact is our ethos at The Baltimore Banner. Reporting stories that inspire action -- tangible positive outcomes for individual members of the community, beneficial changes in state and local laws or policies, and accountability for public institutions and leaders – these are the results we strive for each day. Banner reporting has already generated numerous positive changes for the people and places we cover along with uplifting reader and community feedback!
Read on below to find out more about how Banner reporters are making an impact!
Revealing Catholic Church abusers – May 2023
The Banner has so far identified six alleged abusers whose names were redacted in the Maryland Attorney General’s report on Catholic Church abuse. This important accountability journalism does the heavy lifting that the AG’s Office failed to do.
Read the storyDisability rights group sues Maryland for housing foster kids in hospitals – Updated May 2023
Attorneys with Disability Rights Maryland and Venable LLP filed a lawsuit against the Maryland Department of Human Services, the state health department and other state agencies for “illegally and unconstitutionally” housing foster children in hospitals and restrictive institutions beyond medical necessity. This follows earlier reporting by The Banner about kids being housed in emergency rooms for excessive periods and, in some cases, hotels in downtown Baltimore.
Read the storyLegislation passed to ban predatory real estate practices – Updated April 2023
We reported a story on a real estate company that provided cash payments to homeowners who were struggling financially but took advantage of them by including fine print in contracts designating a long-term, exclusive right to list their property for 40 years. Maryland lawmakers approved legislation to prohibit exclusive and predatory real estate listing agreements that bind homeowners for more than one year based on this reporting. This change was subsequently signed into law by Governor Wes Moore.
Read the storyEnding illegal police quotas – March 2023
Maryland State Police said they would end illegal quotas for tickets; the acting superintendent said he was unaware of the practice until he read about it in The Banner.
Read the storyChanging how sexual assaults are reported – March 2023
Baltimore County said it would change the way they publicly report the number of cases of sexual assault after a story by Taylor DeVille and Nick Thieme, which showed that the county reported higher case numbers to the FBI than they released to the public.
Read the storyMaryland Park Service superintendent and park officials removed after investigation – November 2022
In-depth coverage of the toxic work culture at Gunpowder Falls State Park brought visibility to years of employee complaints and resulted in the removal of the superintendent of the Maryland Park Service and two other park officials. The investigation by The Banner gave voice and redress to employees whose complaints through the available Park Service channels had been minimized and ignored.
Read the storyABC Capital files for bankruptcy – November 2022
We began reporting on a Philadelphia-based developer, ABC Capital, that was attracting foreign investors to renovate and rent out formerly distressed or vacant Baltimore homes. Our investigation revealed dozens of homes were neither renovated nor occupied. The company filed for bankruptcy following our coverage. In May of 2023, the Maryland Insurance Administration announced their own investigation into ABC Capital.
Read the storyImprovements to city eviction prevention programs – October 2022
Our reporting on rental assistance delays that left Baltimore tenants at risk of eviction led Baltimore City to announce improvements to its eviction prevention programs, including committing an additional $400,000 to a program that provides legal representation to tenants facing eviction along with other measures.
Read the storyChief medical examiner resigned – February 2022
The first story The Banner ever published exposed the Baltimore City's use of a makeshift morgue in a downtown parking garage and the unprecedented autopsy backlog of more than 200 bodies, which led to the resignation of the chief medical examiner one week later. Within a few weeks, federal authorities came in to help the city clear its backlog.
Read the storyHelp us report stories like this
As a nonprofit news organization, The Baltimore Banner is committed to providing information you can trust. From breaking news to the too-often untold, inspiring stories from our neighborhoods. Your additional tax-deductible gift will allow us to keep reporting stories like this.
DonateA home for an artist – May 2023
Formerly unhoused Druid Hill Park artist Colin Williams now has a permanent place to live, prompted in part by coverage of him by neighborhood reporter Jasmine Vaughn-Hall. Her stories raised awareness among housing officials of his plight.
Read the storyBaltimore Pianist’s story lives on through her piano – December 2022
The incredible story of pianist Agi Jambor’s life was highlighted by The Banner, including her journey from the greatest teachers of 1930s Berlin to the dance studios of Paris and the Budapest underground during the Nazi occupation. She went on to achieve a successful career recording music in America, only to have her historical significance fade into obscurity. The story of her path to Baltimore lives on through her piano, which is privately owned by a member of the Baltimore community. The story sparked major interest and an outpouring of appreciation for her music and legacy from readers including professional musicians.
Read the storyMonique Smith's birth certificate released – June 2022
Reporting by The Banner spurred New York officials to release the birth certificate of Baltimore’s Monique Smith that she had been trying to obtain for decades. Known as the “longest living Jane Doe”, Smith was aware of inconsistencies in the stories she had been told about her family of origin but had been unable to secure the records she needed to understand her true identity. After years of searching, reporting by Tim Prudente ultimately led to the release of her birth certificate, and the discovery of her real name and birthday.
Read the storyHearing on SNAP benefits issues – Updated April 2023
The Banner wrote about the sharp decline in enrollment for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) among the state’s qualified populations, which spurred an influx of engagement. A woman profiled by reporter Brenna Smith, who had her SNAP benefits stolen, was able to buy a car with donations she received following a feature on an episode of This American Life. The Maryland Department of Human Services has also reached out to her with interest in hiring her for open positions. Following our coverage, Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson scheduled a public hearing in September about potential fraud. A bill was introduced to Congress in November that would reimburse federal funds for fraud victims. In March 2023, Governor Wes Moore allocated $11.3 million toward repaying defrauded SNAP recipients. Our continued coverage of benefits theft is also inspiring legislation in other states.
Read the storyRedevelopment of the Highway to Nowhere – March 2023
Our reporting illuminated important community issues related to the city’s controversial redevelopment plans for West Baltimore’s ‘highway to nowhere.’ A 1.4-mile stretch of road that was never completed, it has caused displacement and division for the neighborhoods around it. Many residents are wary of the redevelopment because of the history of past infrastructure dollars being funneled to wealthier, whiter, more privileged communities, as well as the lack of forethought that went into this unfinished and disenfranchising project.
Read the storyInvestigating tax sales in Baltimore – January 2023
A months-long investigation into the property tax sale system in Baltimore found that it disproportionately affects low-income homeowners and leads to prolonged vacancy in disinvested areas of the city. Since 2016, more than 41,000 properties have gone through tax sale, with properties in majority-Black census tracts being hit hardest. Lien holders profit from flipping houses acquired at tax sale and from collecting interest on outstanding tax liens, while homeowners face thousands of dollars in owed taxes, interest, and fees. In April, the mayor announced that 2,000 Baltimore homes valued below $250,000 would be excluded from the tax sale.
Read the storyReporting on food deserts and grocery store prices – November 2022
A story on what it’s like to go shopping in a food desert in Baltimore’s Midtown-Edmondson neighborhood received tremendous positive reactions from the community, and the accompanying video on TikTok and Instagram reached nearly 680,000 people. Subsequent stories compared prices at 10 different grocery stores to help readers find lower food prices and inspired local nonprofits to offer support and assistance to people in the neighborhood.
Read the storyCoverage on compounding issues in childcare for Latino families – August 2022
One of our neighborhood reporters wrote about the barriers that Latino families face in accessing child care. Highlighting one of the fastest growing populations in Baltimore, the story identifies compounding issues including lack of Spanish-speaking childcare providers and daunting voucher and scholarship programs. The piece spotlights community groups such as the Esperanza Center that helps Latino parents fund daycare options.
Read the storyAwards We’ve Won!
Banner journalists won 48 reporting awards from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association, including five “Best of Show” awards that recognize the top overall entry among all the nominees in a category. This was particularly notable given that The Banner only had six months of stories for consideration. We also won an Award of Excellence from the Society for News Design for our video design on multiple social platforms. Our reporter, Adam Willis, also won the Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award. Our newsroom and reporters have been recognized with various prestigious fellowships, including our selection to host a Report for America corps member, a program designed to place talented emerging journalists with local news outlets across the country. Two Banner reporters are recent recipients of fellowships with the Poynter Institute, and one reporter received a Roy W. Howard fellowship.
BNEXT Internship Program
BNEXT Youth Internship program is designed to provide young aspiring journalists an opportunity to experience working in a digital-first, nonprofit start-up news organization. Since the program’s launch, The Banner has hosted 14 interns.
Community Events
The Banner has hosted over 20 events with more than 2,300 people attending. This includes a new series, The Banner Revealed, which features a behind the scenes panel with reporters and editors, discussions with authors, several events focused on civic engagement and politics, and ticked events including Kitchen Undisclosed, Chef and the Farm, and Wine on the Waterfront.
Economic Impact of The Banner on Baltimore & Maryland
Since our launch, The Banner has hired 24 people who relocated to Baltimore and the region and created over 100 new jobs in total. This addition of talent to the city is helping bolster our local economy, and we estimate the value of our impact at $4.7M in gross wages resulting in $2 to 3M in local spending. This includes significant economic investment by our staff, contributing to state and local tax revenue and the growth of local businesses and industries.
Help us report stories like this
As a nonprofit news organization, The Baltimore Banner is committed to providing information you can trust. From breaking news to the too-often untold, inspiring stories from our neighborhoods. Your additional tax-deductible gift will allow us to keep reporting stories like this.
Donate"Thank you for writing the most comprehensive article on the violence in Baltimore that I have read in my more than half of a century living and working in the city...”
“I am in awe. You and your editors are putting on an absolute master class in how to move a story step by step for maximum impact. Keep it up. It's making a difference.”
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“Thank you for your excellent reporting on this story. I’m glad to see The Banner is putting some effort into good strong public service journalism. Keep up the great work.”
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“I have never written to any other journalist before in my life, but your investigation and series of articles about the Park Service fiasco are so outstanding that I must congratulate you once again.”
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