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What matters to you? Talk to LAist in your neighborhood
LAist’s community engagement team spoke with Altadena residents at Fair Oaks Burger on Jan. 17, 2026.
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Sabrina Sanchez
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LAist
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Talk with us, color with us, or spin our wheel!
Share what’s important to you — we’ll spot your coffee!
These are some examples of what you might hear at an LAist Listens tabling event, where we talk with community members in person about what is top of mind in their community.
LAist is popping up in neighborhoods across SoCal to meet community members in person. We’re listening to your stories and insights and bringing them back to our newsroom to help improve and shape our news coverage. We may show up at a coffee shop, burger spot, flea market, or wherever people create community.
Why are we doing this? Connecting with communities is part of our mission. We always want to be sure our coverage reflects our communities’ perspectives, priorities and lived experiences. It makes our work better and more useful to you.
How it works
In December and January we went to Altadena several times to check in with residents on the recovery process after the Eaton Fire. We had long conversations with dozens of residents, shared resources like our guide to SoCal Edison’s payout plan, and made connections to bring more community-centered stories to our newsroom. One of those conversations shaped our coverage around the one-year anniversary of the fires.
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We set up a table at Altadena’s Fair Oaks Burger and offered participants fries, coffee, or swag to thank them for speaking with us.
Where to find LAist next
We’re planning our next stops in Santa Ana and Inglewood, and we’re open to other cities or neighborhoods in the future. If you’re a local business or organization who is interested in having us meet and listen to your community, please send an email with your request to engagement@laist.com.
You can find upcoming dates of where we’ll be next and learn more about the community engagement team’s work at LAist.com/community.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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