Statewide Region Blog Articles


Image caption: The tricky part is putting it all together.
What’s New @CALocal: September 2023

We’ve made it easier to find and track news and other information and connect with your local elected representatives.

Image caption: Detail of interactive map that delivers real-time information drawn from reliable sources.
Distributing Ground Truth by Mapping the Situation

Social media were once very good at sharing reliable first-hand information about fires, floods, etc. Not any more. Here’s an alternative.

Image caption: Gulp! We welcome our robot overlords.
ChatGPT in the Newsroom: Is AI Coming for Journalism?

The world of journalism has been confronted by the sudden appearance of the so-called Large Language Model (LLM), a specific type of Artificial Intelligence platform, of which ChatGPT is the most famous example. We dive in and take a look.

Image caption: Illustration by Chris Neklason.
Ex-Twitter: One Dead Bird

Big Social Media is becoming useless as a news feed or organizing hub. Is a replacement emerging in the Fediverse?

Image caption: As the news desert fades, the information islands come into view.
News Deserts and Information Archipelagos

In which we contemplate the demise of the "newspaper of record" at the hands of private equity, and the rise of the small newsroom network to replace it.

Image caption: Time to step up and speak out.
Conveniently Contacting Your Elected Representatives

We've made it one-click convenient for members to contact their elected representatives.

Image caption: A screenshot from “Modern Times” (1936), Charlie Chaplin’s meditation on the vicissitudes of labor.
Working Man’s Blues

They were odd jobs, but somebody had to do them. On International Workers’ Day, one peripatetic laborer shares his career lowlights.

Image caption: For local philanthropic or service organizations, communication is key.
Getting the Word Out

Nonprofits and other groups play an important role in every community, yet people are often unaware of this work. Getting the word out is vital. We can help.

Image caption: We're working to make it easier for you to find your way around this awesome state by improving our site architecture and User Interface, and building out two new editorial products.
California Local's Spring 2023 Roadmap

Several projects are underway to make California Local beautiful and more functional. We're working hard to make it even easier for our members to citizen. (And remember: 'Citizen' is a verb!)

Image caption: Valerie Jarrett with the commander in chief in the Blue Room of the White House in 2010.
What Is Civic Engagement?

President Obama’s closest advisor, Valerie Jarrett, created and ran the White House Office of Public Engagement. Because democracy.

Image caption: Collage of images generated by DALL-E with the prompt “An ink drawing in the style of Ralph Steadman of a group of creatures with human bodies dressed in business attire but with lizard heads, outside Twitter corporate headquarters.”
Eschewing Enshittification

Ever wonder why things go wrong in our country and economy? We learned a new word from Cory Doctorow, and found a solution to this menace in the Fediverse.

Image caption: Former U.S. Attorney General William Barr (right) and the man to whom he remains loyal.
Barr Attacks Media at News Publishers Conference

The title of CapCon 2023 was 'Rebuilding Trust in an Age of Disinformation.' Barr’s response to that prompt was unambiguous: You do not deserve to be trusted.

Image caption: View of the flooded San Lorenzo River Park Benchlands in Santa Cruz, California on New Year's Eve 2022.
Communicating During Disaster and Crisis

How to effectively communicate actionable information for preparation before extreme events, and to disseminate vital information during and after disasters.

Image caption: We are tied to friends and family despite our differences. And when we listen to each other, we can find common ground.
Looking Forward to 2023

A note from our publisher: California Local invites you to listen—and contribute.

Image caption: Winter moon rises over Lake Tahoe.
If You Love Tahoe, Step Right Up!

Wherever you live in California, you are likely to have strong feelings about Lake Tahoe. I want you to know that the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation’s annual Give Back Tahoe campaign is at the tail end of another record-breaking year.

Image caption: Don’t be a dummy; go out there and citizen responsibly.
CALocal: Making an Impact

A review of our web metrics reveals a lot of growth in site visitors. But we’re happiest to see that we are helping connect people with their communities.

Image caption: Don't get stomped.
Could Mastodon Become the New Twitter?

Following Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter, droves are fleeing the social network and joining Mastodon, an open-source federated service in the 'Fediverse.'

Image caption: The Giant Sequoia, like this one in Yosemite National Park's Mariposa Grove, is one of the two fastest growing trees in the world. The other is the Coast Redwood. Ahhh ... California.
Two Years of Virtual Community Building

Publisher Mike Gelbman delivers a report on our media allies, local directories, marketing services, and more.

Image caption:
TTCF: Delivering Impact in North Lake Tahoe

California Local is helping a powerful organization tell a big story about confronting problems that threaten the soul of the North Lake Tahoe community.

Image caption: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the United Nations.
International Day of Democracy

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres defends "the cornerstone of democratic societies—free, independent, and pluralistic media.”

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Blog

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