New Non-Profit Newsroom Launches in Los Angeles
A new non-profit news organization called The Los Angeles Local is launching to provide comprehensive coverage for the city's diverse communities. The organization's stated goal is to address the need for accessible and reliable local news. It aims to strengthen civic engagement by keeping residents better informed about important local issues.
- The initiative, formerly known as the L.A. Local News Initiative, launched with nearly $15 million in initial funding. - The organization plans to add more than three dozen local journalism jobs. - Its approach is modeled after the Boyle Heights Beat, a bilingual community newsroom, and will initially establish new newsrooms in Koreatown, Pico Union, Westlake, Inglewood, and South LA. - The project is a collaboration involving local media and philanthropy leaders, with the American Journalism Project providing incubation support. - Key figures on the governing board include Monica Lozano, former publisher of La Opinión, and Kevin Merida, former executive editor of the Los Angeles Times. - The launch follows a 2022 research study that surveyed nearly 900 residents across 244 zip codes to identify local news needs. - The L.A. Local will also invest in and collaborate with existing newsrooms, including LAist and CalMatters, to enhance regional reporting. - The organization is leading a coalition of 22 media outlets to collaborate on content sharing and reporting.
