Media Alert: Vacant Homes for the Homeless in SF

At least 400 people living outside have been on a waitlist for supportive housing for more than a year. San Francisco has more than enough rooms for all of them. The San Francisco Public Press and ProPublica investigate. FIND THE STORY HERE

FOR INTERVIEWS: Nuala Bishari, reporter — 415-860-7915 or [email protected]; or Lila LaHood, publisher — 415-846-3983 or [email protected]

VISUALS: Nuala Bishari is available to meet for interviews virtually or in person. 

MEDIA ASSETS: See below. SAN FRANCISCO (Feb.

Nuala Bishari selected by ProPublica

Public Press Reporter Nuala Bishari Selected for ProPublica Local Reporting Network Fellowship

ProPublica, a national nonprofit investigative journalism organization, has selected San Francisco Public Press reporter Nuala Bishari as one of three fellows for its Local Reporting Network. Bishari and the Public Press’ editorial team will work with a ProPublica senior editor to co-publish her local accountability stories about housing and homelessness for a year, starting April 1. ProPublica will also provide expertise in data, research, engagement, video and design. Other newsrooms participating in the Local Reporting Network this year are Open Vallejo, a Bay Area nonprofit startup, and Outlier Media in Detroit. This group of projects is made possible by a grant from Knight Foundation.

Seth Rosenfeld

Seth Rosenfeld Wins Local Freedom of Information Award for Report on Ride-Hailing Safety

A regional journalism organization recognized freelance investigative reporter Seth Rosenfeld with a freedom-of-information award this week for his Public Press series exposing secrecy and lax state regulation of the burgeoning ride-hailing industry. Rosenfeld spent five months in late 2019 and early 2020 digging into the cozy relationship between the California Public Utilities Commission and the companies it purportedly regulated, Uber and Lyft. In “Ride-Hailing’s Dark Data,” launched online in January 2020 and as a print edition cover story, Rosenfeld found that for six years the commission withheld from public view annual safety reports detailing the industry’s troubling record of crashes and injuries, with sometimes deadly consequences.

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.

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.