This is our first foray into a new electronic platform for a global discussion about kick-starting a noncommercial press. We are about 70 years behind broadcasting, but it’s never too late.

Michael Stoll is senior editor and co-founder of the San Francisco Public Press. Formerly executive director, he has also been a reporter and freelance writer for local and national outlets, including the San Francisco Examiner and the Philadelphia Inquirer. He has taught journalism at two Bay Area universities, and researched media ethics. He was selected as the 2026 medial fellow with the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford.