LOS ANGELES, Calif., Jan. 12, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The LA Local today announced the next phase of its groundbreaking newsroom expansion, including community-based news outlets and a website, thelalocal.org, to serve as a trusted source of local news and information. The LA Local is led by a team of civic and journalistic leaders with deep roots in Los Angeles dedicated to delivering free and fair reporting that better connects communities, strengthens local journalism and fosters collaboration among news organizations.
Photo caption: A member of The LA Local’s community engagement team speaks with a resident in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Photo Credit: The LA Local.
This expansion adds 27 newsroom jobs dedicated to Los Angeles, including at The LA Local’s own newsrooms and at LAist and CalMatters. It represents one of the nation’s largest nonprofit news startups and is fueled by $19.3 million in philanthropic investments and partnerships with 24 area media outlets and universities, ensuring that local reporting remains vital and accessible in Los Angeles.
Led by Executive Editor Kristen Muller, The LA Local’s three community news outlets now cover ten neighborhoods, including: Koreatown, Pico Union, Westlake, Inglewood, East L.A. and South L.A. It will also cover regional news and has partnerships with organizations that include LAist, CalMatters, L.A. Taco, Crosstown at USC, LA Public Press, the Los Angeles Sentinel and The Eastsider. The LA Local multi-pronged newsroom includes Boyle Heights Beat covering Boyle Heights and East LA, and the LA Documenters, which has recruited, trained and paid more than 100 Angelenos to document local government meetings.
“The expansion of The LA Local is a significant investment in the future of our city and county,” said Michele Siqueiros, founding CEO of The LA Local. “By rallying philanthropic support and media partners, we are ensuring Angelenos have the reliable information they need to navigate Los Angeles. We’ve already seen the power of local trusted news in action: Pop up polling locations opened in Boyle Heights where more than 2,100 residents were able to vote as a result of reporting by Boyle Heights Beat. And our partner LAist’s coverage of federal actions at White Memorial Hospital galvanized community stakeholders and demonstrators to demand the protection of patient privacy rights and healthcare workers. Our ongoing collaborations with L.A.-based outlets continue to strengthen the local news ecosystem. All show the power of community reporting and what neighbors stand to gain from news organizations coming together to build a collaborative and supportive news environment for L.A.”
Los Angeles is set to host major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and will hold pivotal elections at the local and statewide level that will define the region’s direction for years to come. What it lacks are the resources to tell how those major events will affect communities. Despite being an entertainment and media epicenter, L.A. County has just 3.6 local journalists per 100,000 people, making it “dramatically undercovered,” according to the Local Journalist Index.
“Most journalism treats neighborhoods as stories to cover,” said Kristen Muller, Executive Editor of The LA Local. “The LA Local treats them as communities to serve—we’re building newsrooms inside neighborhoods so residents have the information infrastructure they need to participate fully in democracy. It’s not just coverage, it’s connection.”
The LA Local adopts a nonprofit model – combined with rigorous journalistic standards anchored by independence, professionalism and accuracy – that guarantees every dollar is reinvested directly into neighborhood reporting.
This community-first structure allows local journalists to focus solely on what matters to the people they serve, and ensures information and coverage is always free. The result is journalism that offers more independence, and builds a community newsroom that reflects Los Angeles, ensuring comprehensive coverage of essential beats.
In addition to Siqueiros and Muller, The LA Local is supported by a founding Board of Directors that includes local journalism, community, and philanthropic leaders with deep roots in and a passionate commitment to Los Angeles. That commitment has led to philanthropic investments from The American Journalism Project, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, The Spiegel Family Fund and others.
“The LA Local is the product of a shared passion for Los Angeles among leaders in journalism, community, and philanthropy,” said Monica Lozano, Board Chair for The LA Local. “We are committed to building a durable institution that serves and empowers the city and its vibrant neighborhoods for years to come.”
About The LA Local
Previously the LA Local News Initiative, The LA Local is a new nonprofit news organization built to strengthen Los Angeles by connecting neighborhoods through trusted, community-centered journalism. While filling critical reporting gaps in neighborhoods throughout Southern California, The LA Local also provides region-wide coverage, partnering with 24 local media outlets and universities to engage and connect communities. The LA Local multi-pronged newsroom also includes youth journalists and LA Documenters, a program that has recruited, trained and paid more than 100 Angelenos to document local government meetings. Learn more about The LA Local at: https://thelalocal.org/.
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Photo link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/26-0112-s2p-thelalocal-300dpi.webp
Photo caption: A member of The LA Local’s community engagement team speaks with a resident in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. Photo Credit: The LA Local.
Logo link: https://thelalocal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/logo-the-la-local.svg
News Source: The LA Local
