Next week the Info Hub will sponsor an online discussion with residents and local journalists about issues of safety amid recent requests for defunding and abolitioning the police.

The ‘Germantown Behind the Headlines: What does the future of safety look like in our neighborhood’ event will take place Wednesday, Aug.12, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The online discussion is a collaboration between Germantown Info Hub and Free Press

Topics will include how Philadelphia and other cities are adjusting police budgets and reframing officer’s roles. Journalists will share how they are covering police reform, and residents will discuss what information they need to be informed. Coverage on police reform such as the WHYY video series: ‘Police Reimagined: The Future of Public Safety.’ will be part of the discussion.

KYW Newsradio reporter and ‘Flashpoint’ podcast host Cherri Gregg will be one of several local journalists participating in the event. Gregg covers public affairs and social justice in her reporting and is a licensed attorney. 

Amid civil unrest, Gregg said journalists and community members need to discuss how topics like defunding the police should be covered. She is excited about Wednesday’s event to learn how reporters can be a “better service” to communities.

“You rarely get to hear from the people who consume the things that you produce,” Gregg said. “So I’m hoping to kind of listen and just kind of hear what their issues are, what they’d like to see us talk more about.”


To be a part of the discussion, sign up for the event at Eventbrite.