• California officials want to make it harder to see what government is doing. They hope no one objects.

    A proposal to restrict access to public records is fueling concerns that transparency is taking a back seat to government convenience. In California, state elected officials are seeking to restrict public access to government records — a troubling development that threatens transparency and weakens one of the public’s most important tools for holding government accountable.… Read more

  • Media Institute at Fresno State strengthens Central Valley’s journalism and creative workforce pipeline

    Through workshops, presentations, and community events, the Institute for Media and Public Trust supports media literacy efforts and helps the public better understand today’s media landscape. Eight years ago, when we launched the Institute for Media and Public Trust at Fresno State, misinformation, media literacy, and declining trust in institutions were already recognized as serious… Read more

  • Fresno’s Journalists of Color program is elevating student voices and creating career pathways

    Fresno’s Journalists of Color program is elevating student voices and creating career pathways

    Now finishing its fifth cohort, the program equips underserved students with reporting skills, editorial experience, and a clear pathway into college and professional newsrooms. When I served as executive editor of The Fresno Bee, I believed journalism could never fully serve its communities unless newsrooms reflected the diversity, experiences, and voices of the people they covered.… Read more

  • The price we pay for taking journalism for granted

    The price we pay for taking journalism for granted

    Journalism’s greatest challenge may be that its benefits are easiest to see after they’ve been lost. California just held a primary election. As I watched the returns come in, I found myself thinking less about who won and lost than about a deeper question: What makes an informed vote possible? Not campaigns, advertising, or political… Read more

  • Inside journalism classrooms, a familiar question has a positive answer: “Can I get a job?” Yes.

    Inside journalism classrooms, a familiar question has a positive answer: “Can I get a job?” Yes.

    Despite concerns about the news industry, graduates are finding opportunities across digital, broadcast and in nonprofit media. As we move toward the end of the academic year at Fresno State and look ahead to the commencement ceremonies on May 15 and 16, I’ve been taking stock of my work this year as a college journalism… Read more

  • Public agencies don’t like releasing public records

    Public agencies don’t like releasing public records

    Even when the law requires disclosure, getting documents can be an uphill battle. It may sound ironic, but the very people entrusted with maintaining public records are often the first to argue for keeping them private. The government offices that are supposed to safeguard transparency can become the places where access is slowed, narrowed, or… Read more