Model and Strategy
Cityside Journalism Initiative is a Bay Area news network launched in 2019 to reimagine local journalism in a time when most outlets are shrinking or closing. Its model combines community-centered reporting, transparency, and engagement to ensure residents in Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond have access to trustworthy, actionable information they need to navigate daily life and participate in civic decision-making.
Cityside operates three newsrooms—Berkeleyside, Oaklandside, and Richmondside—each staffed by local reporters who reflect and serve their communities. This networked structure allows each newsroom to retain its unique voice and coverage priorities while sharing resources, editing capacity, and technology. In addition to local coverage, Cityside provides regional reporting on cross-cutting issues like housing, education, climate, and public safety, amplifying stories that shape the broader Bay Area conversation.
Cityside’s model emphasizes transparency and trust-building. Reporters live in or near the communities they cover and publish explanatory guides that make complex topics, such as air quality at Richmond’s Chevron refinery or local election processes, accessible to residents. Partnerships with community media organizations like Oakland Voices, El Tímpano, and YouthBeat expand reach across language, cultural, and generational lines. The organization also experiments with offline and low-tech distribution, including SMS updates for families and printed guides about housing and tenants’ rights, to reach readers beyond digital channels.
“Local reporting is a vital conduit for civic engagement, as without information it is hard to know how to get involved. We report on things that are failing and also lift up the things that are working in our communities. We let people know how they can participate and make a difference.” — Lance Knobel, CEO and Co-founder
Cityside’s journalism begins with listening—treating community engagement as an essential part of reporting, not an afterthought. Staff host candidate forums, high school workshops, and community listening events that double as reporting touchpoints and distribution channels. Feedback loops are continuous: readers are encouraged to share tips, corrections, and lived experiences that shape ongoing coverage.
Cityside is now exploring where to launch its next newsroom, guided by data on information gaps and community needs. By combining rigorous local reporting with deep partnerships, Cityside is proving that local journalism can still inform, inspire, and hold power to account.
Impact
Cityside’s reporting reaches more than half a million readers each month, providing actionable information that enriches lives and drives policy change, civic engagement, and stronger community voice.
One notable example: in 2024, Oaklandside uncovered that the City Council had quietly removed a measure that would have strengthened the Public Ethics Commission amid a corruption scandal. After sustained coverage, two council members reversed course, the measure returned to the ballot, and voters approved it with 73 percent support—showing how independent local reporting can correct democratic backsliding and hold power accountable.
Another Oaklandside priority, road safety, emerged from early community listening sessions where residents cited pedestrian and cyclist fatalities as urgent. Months of reporting exposed systemic failures in traffic enforcement and infrastructure planning. As a result, the City Council elevated road safety to a budget priority and began implementing improvements, demonstrating journalism’s role in shaping public policy agendas.
Richmondside, the network’s newest newsroom, is quickly becoming an essential source of local accountability journalism. In its first year, reporters have focused on the Richmond school district’s leadership turnover, budget shortfalls, and chronic underinvestment in facilities—issues that had gone largely unreported. Their coverage drew attention from parents, educators, and officials, prompting public meetings and renewed oversight of district finances.
Berkeleyside’s coverage has strengthened community connection and economic vitality by spotlighting the city’s arts scene, small businesses, and local institutions. Its reporting on downtown revitalization, public arts initiatives, and neighborhood life has helped residents rediscover local spaces and supported community-led efforts to keep them thriving. Its explanatory coverage of city policies and budgets helps readers understand how local decisions shape daily life.
Cityside’s impact is reflected not only in policy change but in how residents engage with civic life. Readers credit its coverage with helping them decide how to vote, navigate city services, and understand local safety issues. The network now has more than 8,500 voluntary donors and reaches half a million readers each month—evidence of both trust and demand for its model.
Leadership
-
Lance Knobel
CEO
-
Tasneem Raja
Chief Strategy Officer & Oaklandside Editor-in-Chief
-
Tracey Taylor
Chief Content Officer
-
Jacob Simas
Director of Community Journalism