Coronavirus Crisis Coverage (C3)

In response to the current pandemic, Unicorn Riot began an initiative called Coronavirus Crisis Coverage (C3). 

C3 is a comprehensive coverage plan that provides in-depth reporting on the impacts of coronavirus on populations in the U.S. and around the world. 

Support from the broader community will allow us to support the continuity and expansion of our current coverage, illuminating the realities of vulnerable communities using a person-centered approach to amplify perspectives and ensure their inclusion in the narratives during the pandemic. 

Our mission with C3 is to ensure a continuous spotlight on those who are not being heard during the pandemic.  C3 uses live stream videos, professionally-edited video reporting, and on-the-ground interviews paired with investigative research to contextualize the impacts of COVID-19. 

Our C3 coverage for 2020 "C–SCAN" includes three topic-based series:

1.  'Unsheltered in Place' emphasizing the impacts on unhoused people during the pandemic;
2. 'Caged During Crisis' spotlighting those detained in the carceral system;
3.  and  'No Money, More Problems' person-centered reporting about people detained by the economic and physiological impact of the pandemic. 

We have consistent content coming in live from multiple cities across the United States and internationally.  We've expanded our more recent coverage; as of May 1, here are our most recent 3 stories:

MN Demonstrations, Demands to Free Prisoners Escalate — Demonstrators have been ramping up organizing efforts to ensure the safety of incarcerated and detained people during the coronavirus state of emergency.  (April 30)

Denver ‘Clean-ups’ Displace 100+ Unhoused Residents Amid Health Crisis —On Thursday morning, Denver city employees including police officers told >100 unhoused people living in the downtown city blocks near the homeless shelters that they need to pack up and move.  (April 30)

Worker-Occupied Factory Sends Soap to Refugee Camp – Coronavirus in Greece, Part 2 — Refugees in the overcrowded Moria Camp are expected to receive 1,500 soaps donated from the workers of the self-managed factory Vio.Me.  (April 28)

C3 employs several internet platforms, ensuring that our media is seen by millions of people and is available for free with no pay walls or advertisements. 

The work of Unicorn Riot began in 2015; we are a 501(c)(3) organization of eight reporters, photojournalists, video editors and web developers.  We hold a decentralized structure that allows each member to have an equal vote in the content and decision of our organization.

Founded by members in Minneapolis, Boston, and Denver, our membership has expanded to the East Coast and internationally, reaching as far as South Africa. 

We are aided by a network of trusted volunteers and community relationships around the world.

We believe that it is imperative for as many people as possible to access our content for free — we believe all news and our media, should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford to pay. 

We publish content under a Creative Commons license to ensure that our media can be distributed far and wide. 

Our exclusive and on-the-ground content is made possible by relationships that have been cultivated over the years.  Our consistency in conducting respectful and compassionate stories has helped us bridge trust with vulnerable communities locally and globally, allowing us intimate access that mainstream media organizations are unable to get.

Most of our support comes from individual donations gifted to us by our community of viewers, all of whom are facing economic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Our small non-profit organization has suffered significant financial losses — over 50% of our expected & recurring donations have been canceled since mid-February.

Financial support for C3 would offset the costs of production and allow our team of reporters and media-makers to continue to provide an essential need in reporting.

Contribute today to the C–SCAN project, our 2020 coronavirus crisis coverage.