New York Focus

New York Focus is an independent newsroom covering state and local politics in the Empire State. Launched in October of 2020, New York Focus aims to help make state politics more democratic by publishing adversarial, in-depth reporting that cuts through the noise to explain how the Empire State really works. New York State’s legislative process is notoriously conducted by ‘three men in a room,’ opaque to outsiders and murky even to its own rank-and-file legislators. New York consistently scores at or near the top of state corruption rankings. The current governor has earned a reputation for avoiding serious scrutiny, even as he takes strides to raise his national profile. On many issues, New Yorkers lack the information and resources to hold their representatives accountable. We publish stories that shed light on New York’s political process, broadly understood: from political fixers and lobbyists, to the inherited wisdom of legislative aides in Albany, to the institutional knowledge of advocates and the organizing strategies of popular movements. We are guided by the belief that politics is not a sport. Decisions made in New York’s executive mansions, legislative chambers, state administrative offices, courts, nonprofits, union halls, and campaign headquarters don’t stay there. They determine how many New Yorkers sleep on the street each night; how large public college classes are; how many hospital beds are available during a pandemic. We are particularly interested in pitches related to housing and homelessness, energy and climate, criminal justice and health, tax and budget, and the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo.