LAist Awarded $2.4mn to bolster local journalism in LA

LAist is set to receive a significant boost in its mission to expand and enhance the availability of high-quality, independent local journalism. A $2.4 million grant, disbursed over five years as part of the L.A. Local News Initiative, will enable LAist to significantly increase its region-wide accountability journalism, which focuses on holding powerful individuals and institutions accountable for their actions as part of serving the public interest.

The grant is made possible through support from the L.A Local News Initiative, which is funded by the The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, the Spiegel Family Fund, and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation. This investment is part of a larger $15 million effort by the L.A. Local News Initiative to increase access to quality, independent local journalism to all residents of Los Angeles.

A collaboration between media and philanthropy leaders in L.A., the L.A. Local News Initiative, organized by local civic leaders and the American Journalism Project, is aimed at revitalizing the local journalism landscape. This investment will help increase the overall volume of impactful journalism available to L.A. residents, further ensuring that communities across the region have access to the vital information they need.

“We are thrilled and deeply grateful for this grant from the L.A. Local News Initiative, which will not only empower LAist to expand our coverage but also foster even greater collaboration with our partners,” said Alejandra Santamaria, President and CEO of LAist. “This support will enable us to increase the depth of our accountability journalism, ensuring that more Angelenos have access to the stories that matter and impact their lives.”

The funding will allow LAist to scale up its reporting capacity, devote more reporters to watchdog powerful institutions and people, and further strengthen its partnerships with local media outlets and universities. The expansion of this collaborative approach will contribute to a more comprehensive and inclusive media ecosystem across L.A., bringing more journalism to more people.

This support comes at a crucial time for local news, which has been facing significant challenges. Since 2005, California has lost one-third of its newspapers, according to a Northwestern Medill School of Journalism report in 2023. Additionally, the number of journalists in the state has dropped by 68%. While many news organizations have turned to digital formats to adapt, they continue to face challenges in expanding their readership and securing steady revenue streams.

For more information about the L.A. Local News Initiative, its efforts and a full list of its supporters, visit https://www.localnewsforla.org/

About Southern California Public Radio (SCPR)

Southern California Public Radio (www.scpr.org) is a member-supported multi-platform public media organization that has garnered more than 500 journalistic honors since 1999. Recognized as a national leader in public service journalism and community engagement, SCPR’s flagship radio station, LAist 89.3, is LA’s #1 NPR station. The network’s five stations (LAist 89.3, LAist 89.1 KUOR-FM, LAist 90.3 KVLA-FM, LAist 89.5 KJAI-FM and LAist 89.9 Santa Barbara) deliver award-winning local stories to the communities of the region, including a robust slate of signature programs from NPR, APM, the BBC, and PRI.

LAist is a brand committed to serve audiences in Greater Los Angeles, Orange County, and the Inland Empire. Its award-winning work reaches more than seven million people per month on LAist.com and social media platforms. In 2019, the brand grew to include LAist Studios (laist.com/podcasts), a dedicated podcast development and production studio. Furthering SCPR’s commitment to premium on-demand audio storytelling, podcasts from LAist Studios aim to reflect the ethos of Los Angeles — a forward-looking community built upon unmatched diversity, inclusion, and drive—going beyond geographical borders to connect with listeners around the globe who share the LA state of mind.