For the last year “Ariella Cohen”:http://americancity.org/daily/author/159 and I have been working on the creation of a new investigative news site. The name, the design, the funding, the staff, the office, the endless meetings, the brick walls and the open doors, it all came together.

We eventually were able to bring on “Brentin Mock”:http://www.linkedin.com/pub/brentin-mock/5/791/471 to work on issues related to the environment, housing and social justice issues. I can’t remember exactly when I met Brentin but it took me sometime before I realized he was writing about New Orleans regularly while commuting between D.C and New Orleans. He never let New Orleans fall off the map in terms of national exposure and he will continue to keep New Orleans in the national spotlight but this time he will be doing it from the Upper 9th ward where he has relocated.

We christened it The Lens and “here it is right here”: http://thelensnola.org/

I will be eventually be posting most of my own work over at The Lens so keep looking while we iron out the kinks, add staff as well as a few other surprises we are working on.

Feel free to email me tips and story ideas

karen.gadbois@gmail.com

See you there, and here sometimes too.