The San Francisco Public Press is committed to a path that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within our organization, and through our journalism and community engagement. These tenets are fundamental to supporting a culture of trust between our organization and the communities we serve.
From the Newsroom
Public Press Reporter and Editor Honored With SPJ NorCal Excellence in Journalism Awards
For its 35th Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards, the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California chapter, recognized Public Press reporter Brian Howey with an Ongoing Coverage award for his reporting and critique of San Francisco’s systems supporting the homeless during the coronavirus pandemic.
Elections
Using the Ballot to Fight Corruption
The Public Press hosted a panel discussion on Oct. 29 exploring how voters can use the ballot box to hold local and state government accountable. Veteran good-government experts provided a break down of the challenges in San Francisco and California, and answered questions from the audience. Our panelists were Carmen Balber, executive director, Consumer Watchdog, and Larry Bush, member, San Francisco Ethics Commission. The discussion was moderated by Bay Area radio journalist Max Pringle.
From the Newsroom
Election 2020: What’s on the Line in San Francisco?
The Public Press hosted a panel discussion October 14 examining San Francisco propositions and local races on the November 2020 ballot. Panelists provided attendees with a nonpartisan breakdown of the measures and candidates, explaining them in plain language and answering audience questions. Our panelists were:
Laura Wenus, host and reporter, “Civic,” San Francisco Public PressJoe Eskenazi, managing editor, Mission Local
The discussion was organized by issue and moderated by Lila LaHood, publisher. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHfD_kYtOR0&t=54s
Housing
A – Health and Homelessness, Parks and Streets Bond
K – Affordable Housing Authorization
Government Oversight
B – Public Works Commission, Department of Sanitation and Streets and Sanitation and Streets Commission
D – Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board
E – Police Staffing
Taxes & Business Policy
F – Business Tax Overhaul
H – Neighborhood Commercial Districts and City Permitting
I – Real Estate Transfer Tax
J – Parcel Tax for SFUSD
L – Business Tax Based on Comparison of Top Executives Pay to Employees’ Pay
RR – Caltrain Sales Tax
Election Reform
C – Removing Citizenship Requirements for Members of City Bodies
G – Youth Voting in Local Elections
Board of Supervisors, School Board, City College Board and BART Board candidate races
Watch a full recording of the conversation.
From the Newsroom
Criticism Highlights the Case for Responsible Accountability Journalism
The website SFist on Thursday accused the San Francisco Public Press of inaccurate reporting and fabricating a source in an article on a private company that cleared a homeless street encampment last month. These allegations are false. The Public Press stands behind our story and two follow-up articles by reporter Nuala Bishari.
From the Newsroom
Help us deliver more award-winning journalism
While awards should never be the sole arbiter of quality, we’ll take the recognition when offered! We’re proud to announce two new awards
From the Newsroom
Seeking Temporary General Assignment Reporter
The San Francisco Public Press is seeking to hire a general assignment reporter who has experience doing quick turnaround dailies but also the capability to dig deeper and do analysis from time to time. Experience covering housing and homelessness would be a plus. The Public Press is a small but mighty nonprofit news organization that has produced award-winning investigations on a wide range of issues, including criminal justice reform, ride-sharing safety, sea level rise on the waterfront and the treatment of the homeless in the coronavirus era. We are looking for someone who can help our team produce work that sets the local news agenda. Job Description
The ideal candidate has a network of sources and a track record of producing strong local news pieces, including fresh angles on well-covered stories and occasional scoops.
From the Newsroom
Seeking Investigative Reporter for Short-Term Project
The San Francisco Public Press is seeking to hire an investigative reporter for a project focused on housing. The Public Press is a small but mighty nonprofit news organization that has produced award-winning investigations on a wide range of issues, including criminal justice reform, ride-sharing safety, sea level rise on the waterfront and the treatment of the homeless in the coronavirus era. We are looking for someone who can help our team produce work that sets the local news agenda. Job Description
The ideal candidate has a track record of producing high-impact public-service journalism, knows how to use public records laws to uncover crucial documents, and can analyze data to deepen the reporting. This position will initially be part time for six months.
From the Newsroom
Condemning Hate in Online Spaces
Dear Public Press community,
I need to tell you about an upsetting, hateful incident that occurred during a Public Press Live event we held as a Zoom webinar on Thursday, May 28. The Public Press takes this matter seriously, especially in light of the pain and grief expressed nationwide this week about the chronic mistreatment, disrespect and disregard for black lives. A few minutes into our discussion with students about their experience with and perspectives on distance learning during the pandemic, one or more people flooded the text chat with horrific racist epithets directed at La’Jaya Smith, a recent graduate from San Francisco’s Life Learning Academy. The Public Press condemns this kind of behavior and prohibits it on all platforms and venues under our control. As soon as we saw the disturbing comments, another staff member and I responded quickly to eject the attackers and suspended commenting for all participants.
From the Newsroom
How ‘Civic’ Is Produced and Broadcast From Home
Under shelter-in-place orders, the Public Press staff has been producing the local current affairs program “Civic” from home, conducting interviews remotely and managing a radio station at a distance.
From the Newsroom
Surviving the Pandemic: The Future of Local Media
The Public Press hosted a discussion April 30 exploring news media challenges facing community journalism before and during the crisis and how the future will require more diverse and sustainable business models that don’t rely exclusively on advertising. Our panelist were:
Martin Reynolds, co-executive director of the Maynard Institute
Michael Stoll, executive director, San Francisco Public Press
The discussion was moderated by Gina Baleria, assistant professor of communications & media studies at Sonoma State University, and host of the new podcast “News in Context,” that explores media bias and how information is delivered and consumed. It airs on KSFP 102.5 FM Fridays at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Watch a full recording of the conversation.