Helping local news at risk when Californians need it most

By Martin Reynolds, especially for CalMatters

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Last year, California did something remarkable.

The state made a groundbreaking $15 million public investment in local and ethnic media through the California Local News Grant and the Propel initiative.

The Legislature recognized what communities across the state already know: Access to reliable information is not a luxury. This is essential for a healthy democracy, informed communities and a functioning society.

Today, that investment is at risk. Funding for both programs was omitted from the The Legislature’s Proposed Budgetand unless Senate and Assembly leaders and the governor act before the budget is finalized, that momentum could stop just as the work is starting to pay off.

Abandoning this successful local news initiative comes at just the wrong time.

California is heading into a period of tremendous change. Communities are dealing with economic uncertainty, natural disasters, rapid technological change and an increasingly complex information environment. Next year, Californians will elect a new manager and make decisions that will shape the future of our state for years to come.

This is exactly when people need access to reliable local news and information.

More than 70% of journalistic jobs have disappeared nationally over the past two decades and almost a third of local newspapers have closed. Across California, communities are losing reporters, coverage is shrinking, and too many residents don’t have reliable information about what’s happening in their schools, neighborhoods, town halls and local institutions.

The consequences are real. When reliable local information disappears, misinformation fills the void. Civic participation is declining. Public trust is eroding. Accountability suffers.

The impact is particularly acute for immigrant communities, communities of color, rural communities, and people who rely on news in other languages. For many Californians, ethnic and community media are not just another source of information. They are the most trusted source of information.

That reality is what inspired California’s investment last year. The California Local News Fellowship and the Propel initiative were designed to address different parts of the same challenge.

Since its launch in 2023, the fellowship has placed more than 110 journalists in newsrooms across California—journalists who have since reported more than 10,000 stories that might not have been told, strengthened local reporting and carved paths to journalism careers. More than a third of the fellows from the first graduating class have already been hired into permanent positions in admissions newsrooms, helping to rebuild a profession that has lost too many talented journalists over the past two decades.

But this investment was never simply to fill vacancies in newsrooms. It was also about building a journalism workforce that reflects the richness, diversity and experiences of California itself.

Communities are better served when the people who report on them understand them. While California Local News Fellowship invests in people, Propel invests in institutions.

Through a partnership between the Maynard Institute, California Black Media, American Community Media and the Latino Media Collaborative, Drive helps strengthen ethnic and community media organizations that collectively serve more than 20 million Californians. These outlets provide reliable information, amplify too-often-ignored voices, and help ensure that all Californians have access to the information they need to participate fully in civic life.

This spring, Propel brought together journalists, editors, publishers, freelancers and students from ethnic, community, indigenous and legacy media organizations across California for training focused on storytelling, audience engagement, leadership, innovation and sustainability.

this summer Propel will launch Fire Upa new entrepreneurship initiative designed to help emerging media leaders and local news organizations build stronger business models and create pathways to long-term sustainability.

This is exactly the kind of work California should continue to support.

One of the institute’s co-founders, Robert C. Maynard, has often spoken of the importance of ensuring that “all Americans have front door access to the truth.” This vision remains as relevant today as when he first spoke it.

Access to the truth requires credible news organizations. It requires journalists who understand the communities they serve. It requires institutions that can endure.

The California Local News Grant and the Propel Initiative are helping to build all three. Sustaining support for these programs is an investment in access, representation, civic engagement, public trust, and a stronger California.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.