Alumnae
Alumnae Spotlight
Current Alumnae Spotlight

June 2022: Lila Jezierski Mills ’92

Lila Jezierski Mills ’92 credits her Laurel teachers with inspiring her love of writing and literature and for supporting her in becoming a first-generation college graduate. After completing her undergraduate education and earning a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, Lila returned to Cleveland to use journalism to tell the stories that weren’t being told. She launched Cleveland Documenters, training Clevelanders to document local government committee meetings, as she believes there “is much to be gained when more people commit acts of journalism and when we democratize the practice of journalism.” Lila has recently been named Editor-in-Chief of the Ohio Local News Initiative, a new nonprofit newsroom that aims to flip traditional news on its head by taking its cues on stories to cover from the community, instead of a small group of editors. Read on to find out about this fascinating new model and the importance of supporting community and nonprofit media.

What would the newspaper headline be to describe your time and interests at Laurel?
Six years changed my life.
 
You earned a bachelor’s degree in film studies at Columbia University followed by a master’s degree in journalism. What prompted that transition? What publications/journalists inspired you during that time?
I’ve always been interested in stories and storytelling. After some film internships during college, I recognized that I was more interested in telling real stories. This was during welfare reform under the Clinton administration, and I knew Cleveland residents were facing big changes in their lives. Those stories weren’t showing up in the news (I subscribed to the Sunday New York Times during college) and I became interested in telling those stories.
 
For five years you were a reporter at The Plain Dealer. What was it like working on a daily printed paper? Is there a story that stands out as the most meaningful or that you’re most proud of having told?
That remains one of my favorite jobs. Working for the newspaper allowed for a lot of mentorships so I was able to quickly grow as a reporter and recognize the value of work-life balance. I covered the Cleveland police for two years, and as part of that work I witnessed an execution. That story is the one that I think of the most. I think about the impact the execution had on the families of both the victim and the man convicted of the crime. I also did work collecting stories from Cleveland residents who migrated here during The Great Migration. I was proud to be part of telling those stories.
 
You’ve advised student journalists at Cuyahoga Community College and edited the Greater University Circle Neighborhood Voice, a citizen-driven monthly community newsletter. What advice would you give to students or community members looking to make a difference through journalism?
Check out Documenters.org! There are Documenters programs in several cities, and anyone can sign up to be trained to document public meetings. It’s an easy onramp if you’re interested in getting more involved in the civic life of your community. If you’re interested in a healthy democracy, being a documenter is a great pathway there.
 
How has the demise of local news sources impacted our communities, governments, and perspectives?
Studies show that when local news outlets close, community civic engagement and voting decline, government corruption increases and polarization increases. Local research a few years back showed that Cleveland residents felt the local news was — at worst — damaging to their communities (telling inaccurate and racist narratives) or — at best — irrelevant (focused on national news without connecting how that news would impact local communities). So even as local news is declining and even as that decline is leading to the outcomes above, we need to recognize there is an opportunity here. Historically news media hasn’t accurately reflected all Cleveland communities. So, we have an opportunity to build newsrooms now that more authentically serve and build trust with all Cleveland communities.
 
On the flip side, we are also in the era of alternative news outlets—anyone can start a blog, podcast or a YouTube tv show. What are some of the pros and cons of this? And how do you make your story heard above all the other noise?
Last year the Pulitzer committee awarded Darnella Frazier, 18, of Minneapolis, a special citation for filming George Floyd’s murder. What Frazier did was an act of journalism. And the acts of journalism that everyday people commit are transforming our communities. There’s a lot of power there. I think stories that are authentic and nuanced reach people. I believe there is much to be gained when more people commit acts of journalism and when we democratize the practice of journalism.
 
At Neighborhood Connections, a community-building organization, you led the establishment of Cleveland Documenters, creating a team to recruit and train over 500 residents to document local public meetings. Can you share a little about that initiative?
Cleveland Documenters recruits, trains and pays Greater Clevelanders to document official committee meetings of the Cuyahoga County and City of Cleveland governments and contribute to a communal pool of public knowledge. Anyone can sign up to be trained and paid $16/hour to document these meetings and publish content on Documenters.org where anyone can track public meeting schedules, agendas and meeting minutes. Together we’re building a new public record and democratizing news and information. We believe this can lead to more civic involvement and stronger community engagement.
 
Cleveland Documenters is in partnership with Chicago-based civic journalism lab City Bureau and made possible with support from the Cleveland Foundation and the Visible Voice Charitable Fund of the Cleveland Foundation.
 
Congratulations on being named Editor-in-Chief of the Ohio Local News Initiative, a new independent, community-led, nonprofit newsroom. What are your hopes and goals for this new newsroom? What will set it apart from other news sources?
We’ll be building a new model for journalism that flips the traditional news gathering on its head. Instead of a small group of editors determining coverage, we’ll take our cues from the community — either by listening to the questions Cleveland Documenters ask in their meeting notes or through our regular community gatherings or office hours we’ll host at libraries. Check out a Cleveland Documenters collaboration with The Marshall Project as an example of how well weave together journalism and community and build this new model:
 
Last year when Alumnae Weekend was entirely virtual, you moderated a fantastic panel discussion with fellow alums in journalism (you can watch it here). One question was about how the pandemic had affected the media landscape. A year later, what would your response to that be?
The pandemic has been incredibly hard for news organizations. We’re lucky to have a wealth of community and nonprofit news organizations in Cleveland and that they’re resilient. During the pandemic I’ve found myself relying on them more since I haven’t been able to be out and about as I’d like. The Land is an example of a nonprofit media org that launched during the pandemic and that has been doing good work. I encourage everyone to support community and nonprofit media. 
 
On a typical weekend, where would we find you?
As soon as it’s warm enough, I’m at the beach. In the summer, I take Friday afternoons off and spend them at Mentor Headlands Beach. I love to walk in the Metroparks or in University Circle. And supporting my kids in their interests means you’ll find me at Severance Hall or watching a game of baseball at a local park.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Teachers at Laurel really did change my life. I’m certain without their support I wouldn’t have become a first-generation college graduate (not to mention an Ivy League graduate). So, shout out to Nancy Franklin, my Ninth Grade English teacher who recognized my love of writing and invited me to her office hours for extra support. It was years before I realized what she’d done was tutor me so I could improve my skill. The best teachers find a way to inspire and support you and Nancy Franklin did that. And Jeanne and Jim Stephens — incredible English teachers who stirred a love of literature and introduced me to greats like Alice Walker and Toni Morrison.  Controversial Topics with Claudia Boatright remains one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. And of course, Denise André!
 
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