LibGuides: News & Journalism: Community Journalism

Community journalism

Community journalism covers towns, small cities and neighborhoods instead of national or state news. As small newspapers close, digital news sites are replacing them. Small local newspapers print papers and have websites as well, like the San Mateo Daily Journal and the Palo Alto Daily Post. Other local news outlets only have websites.

The BayView

The San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper, founded in 1976, is a communications network for the Black community worldwide, with its website, www.sfbayview.com, the most visited Black newspaper on the web, second only to the Final Call, and one of a kind print edition that’s distributed throughout the Bay Area and mailed to subscribers, including thousands of prisoners all over the country.

Hyperlocal journalism: "I dreamt of working at ESPN."

Now I’m an award-winning hyperlocal news director Traditional media career paths are changing quickly. Here is the story of one Long Island journalist's grinding and winding path to success.
By: Nicholas Esposito
April 18, 2023

I’m the editorial director and part owner of greaterlongisland.com — a hyperlocal, independent news resource that’s on pace for 6 million reads in 2023.
In 2021, we beat million-dollar newsrooms Newsday and News 12 to win “Best Long Island News Site” by the Press Club of Long Island, a regional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
But I never dreamed of running a hyperlocal news outlet. When people asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I was always quick to respond: “Work in sports journalism.” ESPN was always the dream. I wanted to be the next Adam Schefter or Adrian Wojnarowski.
I charted my own path and became a proud editor, reporter and business owner. I hope my story is an inspiration for any jittery young reporter trying to break into journalism, because what constitutes a traditional path in media is changing as quickly as technology.
So how the heck did I end up in local journalism — and loving it? A little bit of luck, and definitely a lot of hard work.

Local newspapers with websites

The Daily Journal prints and publishes the staples of community newspapers, local news, opinion, sports, arts and entertainment, obituaries and advertising. Read The Journal online or pick up a print copy. The newspaper is distributed throughout San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County.

The Daily Post publishes six days a week and covers Palo Alto, Atherton, Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Hillsborough, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, Stanford and Woodside. Only some of the stories The Post prints are on the website. Print copies are available with the rest of the news at over 1,000 1,000 locations in the cities listed above.

El Tecolote

El Tecolote's Editorial Independence Statement is below.

"El Tecolote has full authority over our original editorial content to protect the integrity of our mission driven journalistic interests. As El Tecolote continues to grow beyond its 50th anniversary, we reaffirm our commitment to represent and uplift the diversity among our audience within our storytelling and our newsroom. We are proud to serve as a training ground for aspiring journalists, photographers, illustrators and translators in a dedicated effort to support the diversification of the greater media landscape."

India Currents

"India Currents is an award-winning, nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-platform ethnic media organization focused on the Indian American community. They have documented the life of Indian Americans in Silicon Valley for over 35 years Our mission is to tell critical, relevant, and investigative stories for and about the diaspora in the San Francisco Bay Area and serve as an incubator for a new generation of storytellers. As conveners of the community, we play a distinctive role in connecting Indian Americans to each other, transcending cultural silos, and promoting civic engagement to support broader social justice issues."

Hyperlocal news sites

The Redwood City Pulse is a news and information website that provides breaking news about local government, crime, business, arts and entertainment, and opinion. The Pulse is part of Embarcadero Media, which operates news websites and newspapers on the Peninsula, including the Palo Alto Weekly/Online, The Almanac, which covers Menlo Park, Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside, and the Mountain View Voice. Reporters are local and the websites are updated frequently.

A nationwide network of hyperlocal news sites, Patch Media covers over 1,000 locations with little more than 100 reporters.