Before we hired our first reporter, before we chose which neighborhoods to cover, before we wrote a single story, we did something different: We listened.
We talked to nearly a 1000 people across Los Angeles, from Long Beach to Pacoima, Koreatown to Tujunga. We spoke with maintenance workers and mortgage officers, teachers and truck drivers, stay-at-home moms and security guards. We asked what you wanted from local news, what was missing and what could be done better.
What you told us was clear: local news isn’t really working for you.
You told us that “local” news rarely feels local – that LA is more like a state made up of many cities and neighborhoods. That coverage is too sensationalist and ignores what’s happening on your block. When your community does get attention, it’s often because something tragic happened, not because of the resilience, organizing and celebration that actually defines your neighborhood.
You told us you want to be represented in local newsrooms and that you’re tired of reporters parachuting into communities they don’t know, covering crises without context, and leaving without following up. As one South LA resident put it: “I wish reporting in South LA was done by people who live here and not just random people that don’t have any type of relationship with the city and people who live there.”
You told us you need information you can use to get basic needs met. You want a place to turn to for verified facts and journalism that explains how your neighborhood works. You want ways to get involved and to find solutions to problems.
And you told us you want accountability. You want to understand how your money is being spent, and why essential services are breaking down. You want us to highlight problems before they become tragic headlines.
We heard you. And we built The LA Local around what you said you needed.
What we’re building
The LA Local is a nonprofit newsroom that’s designed for people who experience this vast region through their neighborhoods. We’re starting with Boyle Heights, East LA, Koreatown, Pico-Union, Westlake, Inglewood and South LA.
Our reporters are of these communities. They host office hours at local coffee shops. They attend neighborhood council meetings, community events and treat residents as experts on their own lives.
We’re committed to meeting you where you are. That means making our journalism accessible to people who don’t have time to search for news: newsletters that land in your inbox, social media you can share and information that fits into your busy life.
What you can expect
Accountability journalism that follows through: We won’t just report on corruption when it surfaces, we’ll investigate how your government spends money, track whether promised solutions actually work, and hold officials accountable for outcomes.
Stories centering humans, not institutions: When we cover housing, we’ll talk to tenants, not just industry associations. When we cover schools, we’ll center families navigating the system. When we cover your neighborhood, you’ll see your concerns reflected with nuance and accuracy.
Information you can use: We’ll help you understand ballot propositions, find community resources, navigate city services and know which officials make which decisions. We’ll explain complex systems in plain language and provide context that helps you take action.
Celebration, not just crisis: We’ll cover the art, organizing, entrepreneurship and resilience that define LA’s neighborhoods. We’ll show the full picture, including the challenges and the triumphs.
Verified facts you can trust: In a landscape filled with misinformation and AI generated content, we’ll be a place you can turn to for reliable, factual information. We’ll be transparent about our sources, clear about what we know and don’t know and committed to accuracy over speed.
Pathways into journalism: You told us you want to see yourselves represented in newsrooms and more young people from your communities telling your stories. We’re creating those pathways. Our high school student journalism program trains the next generation of local reporters. And through our Documenters program we’re paying community members to attend and document public meetings, making government more transparent and accessible while creating paid opportunities for civic engagement.
This newsroom exists because of what you told us you needed. Now we’re asking you to be part of building it.
An invitation
Read our stories. Share them with neighbors. Tell us what we’re missing. Point us toward the issues that matter most. Challenge us when we get it wrong. Celebrate with us when we get it right.
A Westlake resident told us: “Come to my community, find out the reality and take our concerns to the right people to do something for our community.”
That’s exactly what we’re here to do.
Welcome to The LA Local. This is your newsroom.
Have a story tip or question? Email us at tips@thelalocal.org
This article was updated on September 20, 2026