Could $15 million save local journalism in California? We think so | Opinion

Already this year, the Los Angeles Times laid off 100 reporters, and CalMatters made staff cuts. Over the past 25 years, one-third of California’s newsrooms have closed, and more than 65% of journalists have lost their jobs, leaving many communities exposed to unchecked misinformation and government opacity.

Big Tech platforms have upended the media landscape, prioritizing volume and outrage over accuracy and depth. Rigorous, fact-checked reporting — delivered with fairness and balance — struggles to compete with sensational headlines and algorithm-driven content. At the same time, local outlets have lost critical revenue as advertising shifted to digital giants that take the lion’s share of every dollar.

To help address this extreme crisis impacting the business of local journalism, the California Local News Fellowship was established in 2023. Since its launch, the program has placed more than 75 fellows in newsrooms across California, producing more than 100 stories every week — stories that likely wouldn’t have been told otherwise. Recently, Cayla Mihalovich of CalMatters reported on how floods exposed long-standing gaps in emergency preparedness at California prisons. Meanwhile, Xueer Lu of Mission Local uncovered how San Francisco city departments routinely overcharge each other by millions of dollars, even as the city grapples with major budget shortfalls.

But hiring reporters is only the first step. To truly rebuild California’s local news infrastructure, we must invest in the full ecosystem — from newsroom leadership and editorial capacity to training, innovation and sustainability.

That’s why we’re championing the California Propel Local News Initiative, developed by the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. The California Propel Local News Initiative would strengthen and diversify local journalism from the inside out to meet the needs of ethnic, in-language and community media outlets that have long been under-resourced but which are indispensable to the state’s civic fabric.

To advance this vision, we’re calling for a $15 million annual state budget allocation. This investment would support some 60 reporters in outlets statewide annually, add 10 editing fellowships to cultivate newsroom leaders and expand coaching, training and infrastructure support for nonprofit, for-profit and ethnic media outlets across the state.

We realize that California is facing enormous challenges — from devastating wildfires and a deepening housing crisis to infrastructure strain and public health inequities. As the state grapples with a projected $10 billion budget shortfall, these needs will only grow more urgent. That’s precisely why we need strong local journalism to track the impact of budget decisions, surface community voices and hold systems accountable — especially in communities most likely to be affected by these cuts.

In this context, a $15 million investment — less than 0.005% of the state’s $320 billion budget — is remarkably modest. It’s the equivalent of spending a nickel to safeguard a $1,000 asset. And the return is clear: stronger coverage, better civic understanding and greater accountability across every issue that matters to Californians.

Local journalism is not a luxury. It’s civic infrastructure. And like roads, schools and clean water, it requires intentional public investment.

California has long led the nation in tackling hard problems with smart, forward-looking solutions. This is one of those moments. Last week, hearings in both the state Senate and Assembly brought dozens of supporters to testify in Sacramento or sign-on in support of the proposal. Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, a former journalist, and Assemblymember Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, both spoke passionately about the value of independent news reporting and this initiative.

By supporting this budget initiative, we can restore the flow of trusted local information, rebuild newsroom capacity and ensure that every Californian — regardless of ZIP code — has access to fact-based, community-rooted reporting. At a time when real leadership is hard to come by, this is California’s chance to lead again.