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

Orlando Bailey

Executive Director

Passionate about shifting the narrative of Black cities & neighborhoods, Orlando Bailey is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, and executive director of Outlier Media. He is the former engagement director for BridgeDetroit, co-host of the podcast Authentically Detroit and host of Urban Consulate. Previously, he served as chief development officer for the Eastside Community Network. In 2010, Bailey was the recipient of the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award from Eastern Michigan University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.
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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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