Posting: Monday, November 2, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Awards to over 200 news organizations will support local reporting and access to original, fact-based journalism across the state.
SACRAMENTO, CA –– Today, the California Civic Media Program announced $18.75 million in awards to its inaugural cohort of 214 state and local news organizations. Grants of $20,000 to $250,000 per organization will help advance the program’s statutory goals to sustain original, fact-based journalism, strengthen newsroom capacity, and expand access to reporting that informs California’s diverse communities.
“The California Civic Media Program is an important step toward building a robust and dynamic California press corps and reinforcing the vital role of journalism in our democracy. We’re grateful to the James B. McClatchy Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners for building a process that reached newsrooms statewide, and we look forward to what these newsrooms will do for their communities,” said Dee Dee Myers, Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
Supporting Local Journalism Across California
The program was designed, in consultation with the Civic Media Program Advisory Board, to support a diverse range of newsroom models, from legacy newsrooms and sole proprietors to nonprofits and ethnic media.
The awards reach every corner of California with a regional approach modeled after GO-Biz’s California Jobs First Economic Blueprint. Each of the 13 California Jobs First regions received at least $415,000 in grants, reflecting the program’s commitment to funding local news organizations across all of California’s communities. This reach was made possible through partnerships with the League of California Community Foundations, the California News Publishers Association, the Latino Media Collaborative, California Black Media, American Community Media, Local Independent Online News Publishers, the California Independent News Alliance, the Institute for Nonprofit News, Press Forward, and many others.
“Community-based journalism is the bedrock of our democracy; it shines a light on stories that would otherwise go untold. The California Civic Media Program is designed to help sustain this essential work-and I am beyond excited that we are now at the point when program funds are being awarded to so many incredible local newsrooms throughout the state,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland).
The investment also reflects the essential role of community-rooted newsrooms in a state as large and varied as California. Nearly 30% of awarded news organizations are members of an ethnic media network. Awarded outlets report in more than 20 languages, with almost half indicating that they provide reporting in languages other than English. These organizations tend to be the most trusted and longest-standing voices in their communities, reporting stories that would otherwise go untold and bringing those perspectives into the public conversation.
“Local news keeps communities informed and engaged with the issues affecting them. As newsrooms, we take seriously our responsibility to share local stories that are accurate and that reach the people who need them, particularly in underserved communities. This investment from the California Civic Media Program will help us sustain that work,” said Larry Lee, President and Publisher of The Observer Media Group.
A Funding Model for Newsrooms of Every Size
Awards were determined through a hybrid funding model. A headcount formula set each base award at $20,000 per full-time-equivalent journalist for the first five journalists counted and $10,000 for journalists 5.5 through 20, up to $250,000. To fully capture a newsroom’s scope of impact, organizations could also apply for an optional needs-based adjustment of up to double their base award; newsrooms with fewer than one full-time-equivalent journalist were eligible for awards ranging from $20,000 to $40,000.
The majority of awardees reported fewer than 10 staff members. These awards support stretched newsrooms where limited teams often cover a wide range of community needs.
The California Civic Media Program is helping advance the state’s multipronged strategy to strengthen local news, including the California Local News Fellowship at UC Berkeley, the Propel Initiative through the Maynard Institute, and the California Community NEWS Act, which will create a local journalist employment tax credit for newsrooms beginning in 2028. Next year, California will also roll out two new one-year, $3 million grant programs to support ethnic media and public media.
Looking Ahead
A final list of awarded news organizations is available on the Civic Media Program website and will be updated with award sizes once all grant agreements are in place. Grantees will put the funds to work over the coming year and report on outcomes, which will inform a full program report at the end of 2027. The next round of the California Civic Media Program is expected to take place in summer 2027.
View the Full 2026 Awards List
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About the California Civic Media Program:
The California Civic Media Program is a public-private partnership with Google investing directly in California’s news organizations that produce original, fact-based journalism. The program is established within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). The application process is independently administered by the James B. McClatchy Foundation with support from Journalism Funding Partners and guided by an Advisory Board of news industry leaders.
For more information or press inquiries, please contact: CACivicMedia@gobiz.ca.gov
