The 51st

Mission

We believe that all D.C. residents deserve a more equitable and just place to live, and our reporting is rooted in our conviction that local journalism is meant to make people’s lives better.
We pursue stories that hold leaders to account, demystify opaque city and civic processes, and celebrate the idiosyncrasies that make us proud to call D.C. home. Put simply, our mission is to make it easier – and more fun — to live in the District.

About our journalism

We collaborate and engage with people who call D.C. home to share our platform, build community, and improve their day-to-day lives. We believe everyone deserves to have their basic needs met and we empower people by connecting them to information about resources and how to navigate them, how their material circumstances are impacted by current events, and how to have a voice in shaping those policies. Access to this information on a regular basis, from a trusted source, is a key pillar of economic stability and mobility.

The information we gather focuses on guides that make living here easier; independent reporting that creates a culture of public accountability for local government, nonprofits, businesses, and other folks in power; and stories that showcase the people, arts, and organizations that make D.C. an awesome place to live.