Posts by Alena Feeney
Announcing the 2026 California Local News Fellows and Newsrooms
The California Local News Fellowship has selected its 2026 cohort of journalists and partner newsrooms, advancing an innovative state-funded initiative dedicated to strengthening local reporting across California. This year, the fellowship is expanding its impact with the launch of two new programs: an editing fellowship in partnership with the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education and…
Read MoreCalifornia renews groundbreaking investment in local journalism, leads national model
California is reinforcing its role as the national leader in rebuilding local journalism, approving a $15-million investment in reporting and editing fellowships and newsroom leadership training and sustainability initiatives in the state budget signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week. This funding supports the UC Berkeley Journalism-based California Local News Fellowship — the nation’s largest publicly funded journalism initiative…
Read MoreGroundbreaking new journalism fellowships to boost health coverage in California
New health fellowships to build on successful state-funded local news program in California In a first-of-its-kind public-private journalism partnership, the California Health Care Foundation will support five two-year local health reporting fellowships beginning this September through the UC Berkeley-based California Local News Fellowship, bolstering coverage for communities often underserved by the media. The $625,000 California…
Read MoreRebecca Martin Selected As Newsroom Cohort Manager
Rebecca Martin joins the California Local News Fellowship this month as newsroom cohort manager, leading newsroom partnerships. She joins the program as it selects its next group of newsrooms for the fourth cohort of fellows, set to begin in September. “I’m so excited to join the California Local News Fellowship team! I am passionate about…
Read MoreVeteran journalist Monica Campbell selected to lead the California Local News Fellowship Program
UC Berkeley Journalism announced today the selection of journalist Monica Campbell as the new permanent director of its state-funded California Local News Fellowship — the largest publicly funded journalism initiative in the country — following a national search. Campbell has more than two decades of experience as a reporter and editor, covering local, national and…
Read MoreNew California Local News Fellows selected to cover California communities
As part of California’s pioneering investment in local journalism through the UC Berkeley-based California Local News Fellowship, 38 new early-career journalists have been selected for two-year fellowships in California newsrooms. Find the selected fellows and newsrooms here. “Robust local journalism is essential for transparency, accountability and coverage of underrepresented communities,” said Christa Scharfenberg, who has…
Read MoreCalifornia expands historic commitment to the California Local News Fellowship
California is expanding its historic commitment to local journalism with a $15 million budget allocation for fellowships to early-career reporters and editors and training to strengthen the economic viability of news outlets. This commitment will fund another infusion of California Local News Fellows — the nation’s largest publicly funded journalism initiative based at UC Berkeley…
Read MoreStories by California Local News Fellows will be accessible in publications statewide, thanks to new collaboration with Distributed Media Lab
A new collaboration between the California Local News Fellowship and Distributed Media Lab will broaden distribution for stories reported by fellows who are currently reporting in more than 75 local news organizations throughout California. The project is funded by the Google News Initiative. Using the Distributed Media Lab platform, a story written by a fellow…
Read More2024 In Review: Celebrating Collaboration and Impact Across California
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,…
Read MoreVoces: Latino Vote 2024
In partnership with PBS, ITVS and Latino Public Broadcasting we are proud to present a series VOCES: LATINO VOTE 2024, a new documentary and collection of digital shorts that examine the priorities of the politically diverse Latino electorate in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. The documentary “Voces: Latino Vote 2024” is an hour-long…
Read More