As their fundamental journalistic service, legacy local news organizations, most of which are struggling, help stop the spread of disinformation.
Happy Monday, and happy belated Cesar Chavez Day. Before moving on to this week’s featured news, I would like to take a moment to honor the man who tried to bring economic justice and dignity to California’s farmworkers and their families.
That work remains unfinished, and I invite you to remember that la lucha continua.
Journalism as a Force Against BS
We editors are generally happy when a news story breaks that aligns with a project we're already working on. Such a story broke this week, but it did not make me happy.
California Local contributor Graham Womack spoke this week to Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, author of a bill that would help fund the state's local news media, which is in serious trouble. The day before that story came in, we read a piece in the LA Times headlined ‘The California newspaper that has no reporters left.’
The story of the Salinas Californian, which lost its last reporter in December, was made more poignant by the floods that the region experienced in January, which went unreported. Sadly, cities throughout California and the rest of the nation find themselves in similar circumstances as their main news sources essentially disappear.
You probably already know that the internet effectively killed the newspaper industry, as most local news outlets were slow to figure out how to publish effectively online. You may also know that advertisers who once supported their local paper sent most of their money online.
You might not know that two companies—Google and Meta (Facebook)—suck up fully half of the total dollars spent on online advertising. Much of that revenue is built on content generated by legacy media outlets.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Asm. Buffy Wicks’ bill, the Journalism Preservation Act, would make the big platforms pay for the content that they suck from online news outlets—along with vast sums of advertising revenue.
The Ghost of a California Newspaper
James Rainey reports that the Salinas Californian, the daily newspaper serving the capital of Monterey County, has completely emptied its newsroom.
• Nevada County Wins Preservation Design Award
The California Preservation Foundation has announced winners of the 2023 Preservation Design Awards, recognizing the best in historic preservation, restoration, adaptive reuse, and rehabilitation. Each project will be recognized at the annual California Preservation Foundation Conference on April 20.
(04/01/2023) → Read the full The Union report
• Keep Truckee Green to Host Fixit Clinic
Celebrate Earth Day with Keep Truckee Green by giving a second life to your broken household items. The town's sustainability program is hosting a Fixit Clinic, allowing residents to repair household items.
(03/30/2023) → Sierra Sun
• Aerial Fire Retardant Drops Attacked as Ineffective, Harmful
For most Californians, the sight of aircraft spewing neon pink liquid over flaming trees and brush has become a hallmark of aggressive wildfire suppression campaigns. But some forest advocates say the substance does more harm than good. A federal lawsuit could reshape how the U.S. Forest Service battles wildfires throughout the western United States.
(03/29/2023) → Los Angeles Times
• Nevada City Adopts New Defensible Space Ordinance
After public meetings with the community, the Nevada City Fire Safety Advisory Committee and the City Council, Nevada City has adopted a new vegetation management, defensible space, burning, and fireworks ordinance.
(03/27/2023) → Union
• State Parks Looking for a Few Good Cadets
California State Parks invites individuals to “Live the Parks Life” as rangers or lifeguards in the nation’s largest state park system. Through June 10, individuals can apply for the State Park Peace Officer Cadet exams.
(03/27/2023) → Village Life
As their fundamental journalistic service, legacy local news organizations, most of which are struggling, help stop the spread of disinformation.
