Mission Local

Mission Local
Type Local Online News Site and Semiannual Newspaper
Founder(s) Lydia Chavez
Publisher Lydia Chavez
Editor Laura Wenus
Language English and Spanish
Headquarters 2301 Mission Street, Suite 104
San Francisco, California, 94110
U.S.
Circulation 10,000 Semiannually
Website missionlocal.org

Mission Local is a bilingual local independent online news site that also publishes a semiannual printed paper that covers the Mission District of San Francisco.[1]

Early history

The Mission Local began as a hyperlocal project of UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism,[2] focusing on San Francisco's Mission District.[3] As some of the mainstream newspapers in San Francisco were shrinking and downsizing, it was believed that local media sites might fill some of the holes in reporting that were being left.[4] The new media site was in fact also a new experiment in hyperlocal journalism.[5] With funding from the Ford Foundation, it was launched in 2008, purposely aimed at covering the underserved neighborhood of the Mission.[6] Berkeley Professor Lydia Chavez was its founder.[7] It is one of the few university projects that has been turned into a fully functioning community news site.[8] Many young journalists have worked and trained at this media news site.[9] And in 2009 it began translating all of its contents also into Spanish.[10]

Local community news site

The Mission Local covers all of the news from the Mission District,[11] trying to provide context to a story so a reader can get a full understanding of an issue or situation.[12] And it has covered many stories on how gentrification is affecting the Latino community in the Mission,[13] And it has even made attempts to lower the walls that often divide the Latino and tech community.[14] It writes stories that are in-depth, multi-faceted, and often issue-oriented.[15] And it has done investigative pieces, one that led to a change in citywide restaurant policy.[16] It is grassroots oriented in its daily news writing and covering of feature stories.[17] And the news site has connected itself to social media, having a Facebook page, A Twitter account, and is on Instagram. The news site also updates its news stories, often several times a day.[18]

Becoming independent

In February 2014, it was announced by Edward Wasserman, the Dean of Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, that U.C. Berkeley would be disconnecting itself from Mission Local, seeing it now more as a business and "...something other than journalism education."[19] Mission Local re-launched itself as a for-profit and independent local media site in the summer of 2014 under the executive editorship of Lydia Chavez.[20] The online news site continues to experiment in trying to find a workable and sustainable model that can be financially sound while also producing quality local journalism.[21]

San Francisco Mission fire

On January 28, 2015, the 108-year-old building where Mission Local was located at 2588 Mission Street caught fire, [22] causing the loss of one life, leaving 58 homeless, and leaving the building destroyed by flames. [23] Their offices on the second floor sustained a lot of damages, leaving almost nothing salvageable.[24] Yet despite losing its offices to the flames, Mission Local continued to cover the fire extensively.[25]

Coverage and semiannual distribution of newspaper

The online media site focuses on San Francisco's Mission District, covering a neighborhood with around 60,000 people in it.[26] Their online media site receives about 100,000 unique visitors a month.[27] And twice a year the site distributes 10,000 free, printed editions of the Mission Local as a newspaper.[28]

Awards

In June 2009, Mission Local won a Webby Award for being the best student news site in the country.[29] In May 2010, Mission Local won first place for Region from the Society of Professional Journalists on How Clean Are San Francisco Restaurants?[30] Mission Local was a Finalist for Society of Professional Journalist's Mark of Excellence Award in the fall of 2010.[31]

References

  1. ↑ Salkever, Alex. "Mission Local: A Hyperlocal that Does It Right". Street Fight. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  2. ↑ Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald. "Neighborhood news hole". San Francisco Bay Guardian Online. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  3. ↑ Depp, Michael. "U.C. Berkeley Spawns San Fran Hyperlocal". NetNewsCheck. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  4. ↑ Lichterman, Joseph. "Cut loose by UC Berkeley hyperlocal site Mission Local looks to spin off as a for-profit". Nieman Lab. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  5. ↑ Deep, Michael. "U.C. Berkeley Spawns San Fran Hyperlocal". NetNewsCheck. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  6. ↑ Lichterman, Joseph. "Cut loose by UC Berkeley, hyperlocal site Mission Local looks to spin off as a for-profit". Nieman Lab. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Lydia Chavez Professor". U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  8. ↑ Depp, Michael. "U.C. Berkeley Spawns San Fran Hyperlocal". NetNewsCheck. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  9. ↑ Depp, Michael. "U.C. Berkeley Spawns San Fran Hyperlocal". NetNewsCheck. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  10. ↑ "About". Mission Local. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  11. ↑ Depp, Michael. "U.C. Berkeley Spawns San Fran Hyperlocal". NetNewsCheck. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  12. ↑ Salkever, Alex. "Mission Local: A Hyperlocal that Does It Right". Street Fight. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  13. ↑ Maerz, Jennifer. "These Artists Wanted Nothing to Do With Tech Buses". The Bold Italic. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  14. ↑ Maerz, Jennifer. "These Artists Wanted Nothing to Do With Tech Buses". The Bold Italic. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  15. ↑ Montgomery, Kevin. "UC Berkeley Cuts off Support for Mission Local". Uptown Almanac. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  16. ↑ "About". Mission Local. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  17. ↑ Salkever, Alex. "Mission Local: A Hyperlocal that Does It Righr". Street Fight. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  18. ↑ Depp, Michael. "U.C. Berkeley Spawns San Fran Hyperlocal". NetNewsCheck. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  19. ↑ Montgomery, Kevin. "UC Berkeley Cuts Off Support for Mission Local". Uptown Almanac. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Lydia Chavez Professor". U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  21. ↑ Lichterman, Joseph. "Cut loose by UC Berkeley, hyperlocal site Mission Local looks to spin off as a for-profit". Niemam Lab. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  22. ↑ Chavez, Lydia. "FAQs: Mission Local's Membership Drive". Mission Local. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  23. ↑ Williams, Kale. "Deadly Mission District fire determined likely accident". SF Gate. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  24. ↑ Alcantara, Ann-Marie. "Here's How You Can Help Those Affected By The Mission Fire". The Bold Italic. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  25. ↑ Asimov, Nanette. "Blogger's Mission fire victim fund tops $122,000". SF Gate. Retrieved October 31, 2005.
  26. ↑ Depp, Michael. "U.C. Berkeley Spawns San Fran Hyperlocal". NetNewsCheck. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  27. ↑ Depp, Michael. "U.C. Berkeley Spawns San Fran Hyperlocal". NetNewsCheck. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  28. ↑ Valencia, Andrea. "Our Print Edition Hits the Streets!". Mission Local. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  29. ↑ "2009 Annual Webby Awards". The Webby Awards. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  30. ↑ "About". Mission Local. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  31. ↑ "About". Mission Local. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
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