Christa Scharfenberg, CLNF Project Director
By Christa Scharfenberg
As 2024 comes to a close, it’s easy to be consumed by a sense of foreboding about the state — and future — of journalism. From attacks on journalists around the world to newsroom layoffs to political polarization caused by disinformation to direct threats against journalists made by the incoming presidential administration, we’ve seen it all this year.
And yet, we have something to be hopeful about in California.
The California Local News Fellowship — made possible by the state of California’s $25 million investment at UC Berkeley Journalism — is an uncharted model that is making an impact in this state and beyond:
- 76 California Local News Fellows are now working in newspapers, digital-only outlets and public radio stations across our state.
- Our first cohort alone produced nearly 4,000 stories in its first year.
- Some 92 percent of the state’s population lives in areas covered by the fellows.
- Our fellows match the diversity of California in terms of race and ethnicity, gender and educational background.
These statistics come to life as a new generation of early-career journalists build relationships in communities statewide, covering underreported issues and historically underserved communities, one story at a time.
Fellow Pablo Orihuela said the relationship-building he has done with community members in the Central Valley for the nonprofit news site Fresnoland has been critical. Orihuela covers housing for the site, which was launched in 2020.
“I just walked the entire mobile home park and introduced myself to all the tenants,” Orihela said, explaining how he got his first major story by passing out business cards and inviting residents to call him with issues to discuss.
Fellow Victoria Ivie admits to covering “the best beat” at the Orange County Register, which includes reporting on equity, the LGBTQ community, Latino small businesses and more.
“I have also been able to meet with community members during some of their hardest times,” Ivie said, noting coverage of a vigil at the one-year anniversary of a local mass shooting. “The people and sources I’ve met along the way have been absolutely influential in enabling me to handle these often underreported stories with care.”
And these are not just words from our fellows. I have seen first-hand the commitment of our fellows to local journalism and to doing the best possible job for their news organizations and ultimately for our state.
In a three-part series of field reports and podcasts, fellow Ruth Dusseault, a Bay City News reporter, investigates California’s $20 billion solution to its water crisis and explores the preindustrial Delta and its future restoration. Dusseault unpacks the Delta Conveyance Project, one of the nation’s largest industrial projects, and its implications for the future of California’s water supply.
Wren Farrell’s four-part series for KALW Public Media/Crosscurrents delves into MACRO, Oakland’s non-police response team focused on addressing homelessness, mental health and addiction within the community and candidly examines the challenges faced by the program.
Please see our LinkedIn feed to see many more stories published by our prolific fellows that get to the heart of issues that deeply affect the local communities they cover.
To me, this reporting looks like democracy in action.
As state Senator Steven Glazer, who sponsored the initial funding for this program, has said, “Democracy, it’s a fragile thing…if you look around the world today, you see how democracies deteriorate.”
We’ve seen what a public investment in journalism can do for local communities, and we want to sustain it for years to come. Today we are actively working to ensure that the fellowship extends beyond the launch of our third cohort next year, as the current state funding comes to a close. We have a lot of work to do and know how to do it!
Please read more here about the Fellowship’s impact in 2024.
The Fellowship extends its heartfelt gratitude to our fellows, newsroom partners, advisory board members and staff for an outstanding year. Your dedication and collaboration have made 2024 a year of remarkable journalistic impact.
Let’s keep hope alive in 2025 for local news, democracy and all that we hold dear.