A free and vibrant press is one of the cornerstones of democracy. Local news outlets inform the public, hold elected officials accountable, and provide a forum for civic debate. As Walter Cronkite said, Journalism is what we need to make democracy work.

The traditional business model of local news outlets — newspapers, TV broadcasters, and radio stations — has been disrupted by technological advances and battered by economic downturns, including the COVID-19 pandemic. In some cases, corporate interests have neglected or stripped away resources from local news outlets, diminishing the quality and quantity of their work.

The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation aims to improve and expand the work of news organizations in the Coachella Valley in service to the community and in defense of our democracy. 

The CVJF was created in 2020. Our first project was to save the opinions pages of The Desert Sun as an important forum for community dialogue and debate. The newspaper’s corporate parent company had extended buyout offers to employees nationwide, including The Desert Sun’s opinions editor. These positions were no longer funded going forward.

The CVJF successfully raised funds to allow The Desert Sun to hire a new opinions page editor in 2021. The organization continues to raise funds to provide ongoing financial support for this important community forum.

The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation provides support to local newsrooms in these distinct ways:

• • Staff positions

    The CVJF strives to raise funds to bolster staffing in local newsrooms. We identify gaps in local newsrooms — such as coverage of critical topics like education or the environment — and seek funding for reporters to enhance coverage.

  • Annual internships/fellowships

    Each year, the CVJF invites local news organizations to apply for funds to hire interns or fellows for their newsrooms. Generally, these are current college students or recent graduates. This is an important investment in the future of the news industry. The call for applications occurs each spring.

  • One-time special grants

    Newsroom leaders across the Coachella Valley are encouraged to reach out to CVJF at cvjournalismfoundation@gmail.com at any time to request funds to help with reporting efforts that otherwise would not be possible without financial assistance. These small, one-time grants can fund travel, temporary staffing, freelance costs, data acquisition, polling, etc. These requests should focus on work that advances understanding of important local issues.

CVJF respects the independence of local news organizations. Funding to newsrooms is made without any influence over coverage or content decisions. The long-range goal of the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation is to build a financial endowment to expand our assistance to valley news organizations. We welcome donations from the community in support of our campaign to preserve democracy and build an informed community.