The Sacramento Bee is hiring 4 journalists to cover equity in California. How we’re doing it

The Sacramento has now launched its Equity Lab. Learn more about the reporting team here.

Almost 20 years ago, The Civil Rights Project at Harvard University named Sacramento the most diverse city in America.

Time magazine featured the report, which celebrated Village Park and noted more than half of William Land Elementary’s students spoke a language other than English at home.

The story didn’t once mention equity. How far Sacramento had come and how far it had to go. And, to be fair, we at The Sacramento Bee weren’t writing about equity at that time either.

Today is a new day. The stories you are reading and the photos and videos you’re viewing reflect a community that’s evolving.

We don’t yet know how we will emerge. We cannot presume that the process will be pleasant. If history is our guide, we stand a good chance of making more of the kind of decisions that have long favored those with outsized resources.

But our community wants a different outcome.

We know this in part because it has chosen to support four new reporting positions focused on equity in California, specifically in Sacramento.

Today, The Bee is launching a groundbreaking community-funded team of journalists to share with our broad audience the inequities and triumphs of communities that have long been underserved by our news organization and other media.

Individuals and foundations are helping elevate voices and our accountability reporting to ensure all groups have what they need to be successful — health care, jobs and education — and that they have equal access to these resources.

We’re humbled that funders have come forward to add four journalists at The Bee this summer, during a coronavirus-induced recession. While some might say this is a natural time for people to support local news, as demand for credible and contextual information has never been higher, we are grateful for the support and hopeful we can create the space for thought leadership.

The Bee will add three reporters and will welcome an editor to lead this team, which will focus on surfacing solutions to longstanding challenges. Today we’re calling the team — or reporting lab — the community voices team. We’d like your input as we identify a lasting name.

We also want to know what stories you want told. What communities would you like to see The Bee devote more resources to covering? Tell us what you think in this survey.

Here are short summaries of the positions:

Equity reporter: They will focus on systemic inequities in Sacramento and its inner ring of suburbs. They’ll report on where your tax dollars are being spent and hold those in power accountable for their actions.

Black communities reporter: The challenges facing our region have been exacerbated in our Black communities by decades of decisions at City Hall and the state Capitol. The journalist in this position will tell the story of Black culture in Sacramento.

Economic mobility reporter: We’re looking for a journalist in our Capitol Bureau to break stories on how policymakers are creating conditions for working-class people to emerge from the coronavirus recession with a better future. This is an opportunity to deliver coverage that interprets actions at the Capitol and holds elected officials accountable for their political promises and actions affecting the world’s fifth-largest economy.

Team editor: This team will have a leader that seeks solutions, practices accountability journalism and connects with the community. They will be instrumental in shaping The Bee’s coverage of a pivotal time in our region’s history.

Engagement with our communities will be critical for this team. Our journalists will serve as connectors between the work we produce and the communities we serve. Instead of writing about our city, they will write for our city.

Throughout its 163-year history, The Bee has shined the light of truth on countless issues that have changed the course of local history. But we also recognize we haven’t fully served our community. This reporting lab will lift those voices and stories.

Thanks to our partner, The Sacramento Region Community Foundation, for its support in establishing a fund for local journalism. Donors to the Media Impact Fund at the foundation include The James Irvine Foundation, The James B. McClatchy Foundation and the Sierra Health Foundation, as well as individual donors.

Editorial independence is a core value at The Sacramento Bee. We strive to deliver high-impact journalism in the public interest. While we value the support of our funding partners, they have no editorial oversight, approval or influence over the content produced by lab reporters or other members of the newsroom.

To support the lab, which is fully funded for one year, contact Bee President Lauren Gustus at lgustus@sacbee.com.

This story was originally published July 9, 2020 at 1:28 PM.