What is happening to The Mendocino Voice?
The Mendocino Voice is partnering with the nonprofit Bay City News Foundation. It will remain a standalone, free news site but come under a nonprofit structure instead of an LLC. That means we can be true to its mission to provide, free, high-quality local news for the county but also allow donors to support it with tax-deductible contributions.
We’ll keep you in the loop as we expand our reporting and launch new projects, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on what you’d like to see from our growing newsroom. You can email me directly with ideas and questions. And, watch for our website refresh in July — don’t worry, we’ll send you a short reminder to check it out on the day.
What is Bay City News? What is Local News Matters?
Bay City News Foundation is a nonprofit started in 2018 that publishes a free news site at LocalNewsMatters.org, focused on public service journalism to make sure the people, places and issues that deserve more attention get it. The combination of original enterprise reporting, breaking news and a powerful distribution network means we are of tremendous value to millions of people in the greater Bay Area and Northern California, especially now with so much urgent news. Adding The Mendocino Voice to our portfolio means we can provide 24/7 support for the Mendocino County outlet and also give more visibility to the journalism published by local reporters.
You can read about our mission at BayCityNews.org and see our work in the greater Bay Area at LocalNewsMatters.org. Also, check out @baynewsmatters on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and sign up for our news and arts & culture newsletters.
The affiliated Bay City News Service is a regional newswire for the greater Bay Area and Northern California that provides 24/7 coverage to most Bay Area media organizations, which then republish articles on their platforms. The subscription-based newswire, started in 1979, serves about 100 news, PR and government clients.
What does this change mean for me?
The Mendocino Voice will remain constant, with additional regional coverage from nearby Northern California counties and the greater Bay Area. There will be more news for you to read, if you want it.
We’re excited to continue publishing The Mendocino Voice you are familiar with, while spending time learning about how the newsletter, as well as other platforms, can better serve your needs (and wants) when it comes to Mendocino County. As part of that process, we’ll be asking for your input. If you have any initial thoughts, please email, call or write to us.
What does this mean for my favorite Mendocino Voice writers?
We will continue to work with the writers you know. They have been welcomed to our team and are looking forward to covering the beats, columns and topics you expect from The Mendocino Voice.
Together, we’ll be able to serve more communities in Northern California with in-depth reporting about civic engagement that keeps local government agencies accountable and responds to your and your community’s needs.
Wherever you’re reading from in our region, the news is interconnected. More coverage means more context and more detail, all to keep you informed and able to make the best decisions possible.
Why are you making this change?
This partnership will give The Mendocino Voice the stability to maintain its news operation and support its journalists. It’ll create a regional network all along the coast as well as the inland areas and give reporters the opportunity to grow. It’s a promise of long-term sustainability. Joining with Bay City News Foundation means that we’ll have the capacity for deeper coverage of environmental issues, plus more resources for bringing you that news, including more photographers, data journalists and round-the-clock editors.
Ok, can you tell me more about Bay City News Foundation?
Bay City News Foundation was established as a nonprofit news organization in 2018. Its main outlet to date has been LocalNewsMatters.org, an award-winning publication dedicated to providing free, public service content so that the people, places and topics that deserve more attention get it.
Here are some priority coverage areas that we’re proud of and can now share with readers of The Mendocino Voice.
Civic Engagement
Supporting democracy is a key part of the mission of Bay City News Foundation. We started LocalNewsMatters.org to help provide the critical information people in the greater Bay Area need to navigate their lives, make informed choices and participate actively in their communities in a meaningful way.
Arts and Culture
Northern California is a hub of artistic expression, attracting artists, writers and musicians from around the globe to live, work and create. In this section, we highlight its many offerings and also produce a weekly culture newsletter with the weekend’s Best Bets for the greater Bay Area and we will continue coverage of the Mendocino County arts community.
Education Matters
Issues affecting schools, colleges and universities — and the students, teachers, administrators and parents involved with education — matter to the health of our communities. We publish stories from independent journalists from our own newsroom and in partnership with other outlets such as EdSource.
Aging and Longevity
With California’s senior population expected to grow by two-thirds in the next two decades, one of the biggest questions is how prepared the state is to meet that challenge. We keep readers up to date with the latest stories regarding aging in the greater Bay Area and Northern California.
How do I keep reading The Mendocino Voice newsletter?
Don’t worry, we’ll still be publishing the newsletter, but it will be updated with a fresh look and new content as we transition to a new web platform in July.
What will happen to The Mendocino Voice archives and previous reporting?
The Mendocino Voice is still currently active. In the next few weeks, we will migrate the site archives to a new website to ensure past reporting remains available.
I’d love to contribute — do you need more writers, photographers, etc?
Yes! Bay City News and Bay City News Foundation are looking for freelance writers to contribute to The Mendocino Voice and LocalNewsMatters.org on a broad range of topics. While some professional writing experience is preferred, we also work with emerging journalists and students with strong writing skills and story ideas. Here’s our Pitching Guide.
Do you hire interns? How do you support youth journalism?
Yes! We have a robust Internship Program, especially for college and graduate students. Bay City News Foundation supports the next generation of journalists with year-round internships and training. We work with San Francisco State, San Jose State, UC Berkeley, Stanford University, CUNY, Columbia University, Yale and others to train and mentor students so they have a professional path toward journalism jobs. We’re eager to partner with additional universities, especially in Northern California.
How do I get in touch with you?
If you have questions or issues that aren’t answered here, or just want to say hello to the new publisher, you can reach Katherine Ann Rowlands at kat@baycitynews.com. You can find out more about her background here.
Have a news tip day or night? Email newsroom@baycitynews.com or call (510) 251-8100. You can also still hit reply to our info@mendovoice.com email, too. The publisher@mendovoice.com will be active for a short time if you are trying to reach founder Kate Maxwell.