Community foundations across California are part of a growing movement to revitalize the essential civic infrastructure of independent local news.
Decades of disruption within the industry has shuttered dozens of local newsrooms across California, creating a growing number of ‘news deserts’ that exacerbate upward trends in civic disengagement and political polarization.
Fewer local journalists means less representation for increasingly diverse communities throughout California. The vacuum of credible reporting left by disappearing local news outlets can often be filled with so-called ‘fake news’ and misinformation.
Communities need “a bedrock of local civic leadership, philanthropy, and readers willing to nurture local journalism as a valued community asset,” writes Julia Sandorff in the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
By making big investments in local news and information ecosystems, community foundations are “amplifying community voice” to bolster civic engagement and foster more active, informed communities.