It's our birthday, and we'll celebrate if we want to. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
Our June member drive is live: protect this resource!
Right now, we need your help during our short June member drive to keep the local news you read here every day going. This has been a challenging year, but with your help, we can get one step closer to closing our budget gap. Today, put a dollar value on the trustworthy reporting you rely on all year long. We can't hold those in power accountable and uplift voices from the community without your partnership.
Today is our birthday. And boy, do we have a lot to celebrate.
1) We're still alive and kicking.
2) We've learned A LOT in the past year.
3) We've got some exciting news to share with you.
The site's shutdown came at a time when local news in L.A. seemed increasingly under peril. We knew what was lost when they pulled the plug on LAist. We lost a smart guide to living here. We lost a friend who knew where to go, what to eat, who to know. We lost an important connection to each other and to this place.
Bringing LAist back meant some hard work and some hard questions.
What would it look like under new ownership? What kinds of stories would we publish? Would we be able to stay the reliable friend you've come to rely on to tell you what's happening in our city? Would LAist's readers understand and embrace our nonprofit business model? Would our newsroom embrace the chance to talk to a new audience, eager for news to be delivered in fresh, irreverent ways?
We learned you were willing to support uswith your hard-earned cash, in our first-ever LAist member drive.
WHAT'S NEXT
That gets us to where we're going next and why.
We've spent the last year getting older and wiser. And today, we wanted to share what we've got to show for it.
A promise. To you. Our readers.
Here at LAist, we promise to:
Always seek the truth -- no matter how difficult it may be. And we'll help you understand it.
Be transparent. We'll tell you how we do our jobs, where we got the information and why you can trust it.
Stay independent. We don't answer to big politicians or corporations. We answer to you.
Encourage your curiosity. We welcome your questions and will take our time to answer them.
Commit to diversity in our stories and our staff. We will always do our best to be both for and about communities.
Be part of the communities we cover. We will connect you with your neighbors, so we can all understand each other better. And maybe even laugh together. We know we don't have to always be serious to be serious journalists.
OUR MISSIONS
Reporters missions on display in our newsroom. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
So how do we make good on that promise?
Our reporters and editors have been hard at work thinking about what they cover and why. They've thought a lot about how to serve you better and bring you stories you won't find anywhere else.
And, just as we promised, we want to share those missions with you. It's one of the key first steps we are taking to make sure our values are reflected in our stories.
You'll be seeing these missions again as you read more on LAist -- they will be at the bottom of our articles -- along with really easy ways to ask questions or give us story tips [we do love birthday gifts]. And for those of you who listen to us on the radio at 89.3 FM KPCC, you'll also be hearing about them.
We are excited about what we will build together.
And with that, here's our newsroom mission:
You deserve great local news - and we need your help to find those stories. We listen to what you're curious about, what keeps you up at night, and who you want held accountable. We're inviting you to be part of the conversation.
And here are the missions of our reporters:
INVESTIGATIVE TEAM
From left: Aaron Mendlson, Mike Kessler, Rina Palta, Annie Gilbertson and Dana Amihere (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
More Asian Americans live in L.A. County than any other county in the U.S. The communities are varied and complex and often invisible in the mainstream media. I tell the stories of recent immigrants and families who have been here for generations to answer the question: How do you navigate the intersection of being Asian and American and what impact does that have on L.A.'s future?
The Southern California economy is strong, so why are so many people living paycheck to paycheck? I tell the stories of these Angelenos, their struggles and the many creative ways they make a living. I share information on strategies that can put people on the path to greater prosperity.
I focus stories on college students who are at a crossroads, particularly those on the first rung into higher education. Many of those students are trying to overcome academic and other challenges because they believe college will be the path to a better life. How do the people around them - in their personal lives and at the institutions they attend - help or hinder their success?
Is your local school any good? What does 'good' even mean? I help parents understand what defines quality education and which tools let them assess -- and sometimes even choose -- their own schools. I examine the forces that drive which students get advantages and which students get left behind, in school and beyond.
Exposure to the arts can open doors to a creative life, but not everyone has the same opportunities to be creative - even though California state law requires access to arts education. I explore what's being done to address the disparity and who does, and does not, get to learn about and make art.
Priska Neely, covering early childhood development and education
I connect educators and caregivers of children ages 0-5 in L.A. County who live and breathe our early childhood system every day with academics, researchers, and policy makers to reveal gaps between the two and shine a light on what's working and what's not.
I'm interested in the tension between California's status as an environmental leader and the reality of our enormous fossil fuel consumption and production. I'm also examining the tension between our need for more housing and the reality of our hotter, drier, more fire-prone future.
I bring you onto the scene of the stories Angelenos are talking about today and help you understand how they'll affect you. I'm always on the lookout for news and unique stories about Los Angeles - let me know if you have one.
We're living longer than ever before. What are we doing to get ready as California rapidly ages? I connect aging adults and caregivers with information, experts, and policy makers to help them understand risks and bridge the gaps in care.
It is still very hard for many people to talk about mental health. I explore how Southern Californians are trying to overcome the stigma, how that differs depending on your community, and what it will take to make help more accessible.
It's not just you. Southern California's sky-high housing costs are changing how we live and who can afford to keep a roof over their head. I will help you understand the factors that got us here, what's being done to help those struggling, and new pressures around the corner.
Southern California is home to many new immigrants - about a third of L.A. County residents are foreign born. Immigrants are creating an evolving definition of 'American.' I will deepen the understanding of how immigrants are changing the region and how L.A. changes immigrants.
Los Angeles is the home of arts and entertainment. My job is to help you figure out what is worth your time, and introduce you to other talented Angelenos who make it happen. This is a space for the creative work you care about - or don't know about yet.
Los Angeles is the most diverse and interesting food city in the United States. It's a place where street tacos are as revered as any 12-course omakase dinner - and rightly so. My job is to connect hungry Angelenos - through food - to the culture, history, people, and neighborhoods that make up our city.
Infrastructure is what we build together to make life better (and the things that break). My role is to reveal the often-surprising and important systems that make life possible in and around L.A.
Orange County is changing -- too fast for some; not nearly fast enough for others. As the county shifts demographically and politically, my goal is to illuminate accompanying challenges, such as homelessness, and help people understand what's at stake.
Democracy can be messy. In Southern California, the political system is changing in front of us, from how we vote to who is running for office. Many voices are shouting to be heard. I examine who gets listened to, and why, and provide a guide to anyone who wants to more fully participate in civic life.
Southern California has a long and troubled history when it comes to policing. I explore a continuing disconnect between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve, look at when reforms have worked and where and why tensions remain. I'm always examining whether justice is being served.
I help Angelenos understand the role religion plays in their daily lives and the lives of their neighbors, in a region that has long been a safe haven for oppressed religious and ethnic communities worldwide.
From the consequences of climate change to the next Big One, the threat of another natural disaster is never far away. I help Southern Californians understand the science shaping our imperfect paradise and get them prepared for what's next.
More military veterans live in Southern California than anywhere else in the nation. I tell their stories - from those who excel after discharge to those who falter. How is America supporting its commitment to veterans and their families? How are we falling short?
Fentanyl and other drugs fuel record deaths among people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County. From 2019 to 2021, deaths jumped 70% to more than 2,200 in a single year.
