Dear Readers,

BridgeDetroit is ending three topic-specific newsletters — Culture Canvas, JB’s Bites and Thrive — beginning in 2026, as our nonprofit newsroom adapts how our reporting reaches Detroit residents.

Coverage of arts and culture, food access, economic mobility, housing and homelessness will continue through in-depth reporting on bridgedetroit.com in the organization’s daily BridgeDetroit newsletter and on social media and video. The change reflects a strategic shift toward creating more flexible and accessible ways for audiences to engage with BridgeDetroit’s journalism.

We remain deeply committed to covering the issues that matter most to Detroiters. This change allows us to meet people where they are, with more options for how and where they consume our reporting.

Launched to provide focused coverage on key community issues, Culture Canvas highlighted Detroit’s arts and cultural life and was written by Micah Walker. JB’s Bites explored food access and the city’s food landscape from the perspective of Jena Brooker. And Thrive examined economic mobility, housing and homelessness as well as offering resources for residents to live better lives. 

As part of this transition, those stories will continue. But BridgeDetroit is investing in new approaches to storytelling and distribution, including expanded video content and increased engagement through social media platforms. These efforts are designed to broaden the reach of BridgeDetroit’s reporting and make it more accessible to Detroit residents across different formats.

The daily BridgeDetroit newsletter will remain a central hub for the newsroom’s reporting, offering readers a curated snapshot of the latest stories, explainers and community-centered journalism. 

In another change, City Council Notebook will become Detroit City Notebook, expanding beyond City Council coverage to include all aspects of government, including the transition of the new mayoral administration, council and Board of Police Commissioners. Led by Malachi Barrett, it will come out two days per week in 2026 and include contributions from multiple reporters.

BridgeDetroit’s mission remains unchanged: to serve the information needs of Detroit residents and help them better understand and engage in civic life. Our commitment to accountability reporting, community representation and engagement-focused journalism is as strong as ever.

We are grateful to readers who supported these newsletters and look forward to continuing this work in new and evolving ways. BridgeDetroit will share additional updates about new storytelling and engagement initiatives in the coming months.

Thank you for reading,

Laurén Abdel-Razzaq

Executive Editor for BridgeDetroit