On April 6th, Californians tuned-in to a public panel discussion to learn from advocates and experts about the state of California media policy and the priorities, strategies, and statewide models that could help rebuild and sustain a robust news information ecosystem in the state.
California has lost a quarter of its newspapers and half its newsroom staff in the last 15 years, with news deserts emerging around the state. The loss of local and ethnic media outlets has left a void—a void that has quickly filled with online disinformation targeting and exploiting California’s communities.
Without accurate, independent news and information at the local level, communities cannot hold local governments accountable and our democracy cannot thrive.
Watch to learn more:
Panelist:
- Yosef Getachew, Common Cause
- Julian Do, Ethnic Media Services
- Mike Rispoli, Free Press
- Rashad Mahmood, New Mexico Local News Fund
- Nadine Farid Johnson, PEN America
This series is brought to you by:
California Common Cause, Ethnic Media Services, California Black Media, Courage California, California Environmental Voters, League of Women Voters of the U.S., PEN America, Black Voice News, Latino Media Collaborative, and California News Publishers Association.
Further reading and resources:
- More than 100 local newsrooms closed during the coronavirus pandemic
- US News Deserts database run out of UNC
- Future of Local News Act
- New Jersey Civic Information Consortium
- New Mexico Local News Fund
- California’s SB 911
- The Appeal
- The Ferret
- Colorado Sun
- Mendo Voice
- Inland Empire Information Needs Assessment Report
- PEN America’s Losing the News report
- How We Know Journalism Is Good For Democracy
- Conecta Arizona
- Media 270 Project
- CA Ethnic Media Grants
- California Ethnic and Community Media Directory