A free, independent press is the backbone of America.
Locally owned independent newspapers, in turn, are the backbone of a free press.
Without locally owned newspapers, governments can, and will, operate without boundaries — that is our basis, our purpose, and the reason we exist.
Diversity of ownership prevents central control and power strangleholds over information. Knowledge is power; your local independent news media has a vested interest in your community, because we live here and operate where you live. The media should be owned by the people whose primary interest is to protect the fact-based free flow of information — unlike national and global companies looking to squeeze profits for investors.
California is producing tumbleweeds as news deserts continue to expand in our state.
Big Tech and Big Media continue to aridify the news ecosystem as longtime community newspapers are stripped for their parts, and news reporters and news coverage are drastically reduced. CINA is committed to growing reporting coverage in California through awareness, grant funding, business development and legislation.
Welcome to a community of independent California news media owners, publishers and editors. We are partnering to revive and fortify California’s independent news ecosystem. We have seen how our lack of connection and engagement with other independent outlets has left us as islands unto ourselves, under siege by Big Tech and Big Media. The result has been a lack of representation in California’s journalism legislation, without the help of our peers to face the challenges of the news business.
We are taking next steps to secure our future and strengthen local independent news reporting in California through a better connection. We are organizing ourselves into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to be able to raise funds for more independent reporting — to inform publishers of the news business and of relevant legislation so we may advocate with a bigger voice for our interests.
We are following legislation, seeking input, finding allies, tracking bills, making calls, sending newsletter updates with action items, and showing up. It is working, so thanks to all who participate.
CINA is building opportunity through a public benefit corporation (California Independent News Association) to pull our reach together to win more large advertising contracts. We have been awarded one RFP already along with another group ad buy and we are seeking more.
We are discussing so much more: events and networking opportunities, content sharing, the "Google deal," forums, education, grant funding and more.
CINA is a professional alliance that seeks input from members before setting policy. It will take many hands to accomplish our many goals. We invite you to join us. We are planning affiliate memberships and donation opportunities as we move forward. We welcome your input and contributions, experiences, insights, and visions.
Most of us do this for love — for adrenaline, for craft, for our communities, and for the sunshine that facts bring to the people, leading them to truth and action. We are California’s Fourth Estate and we are writing our state’s first draft of history.
We, the board members of the California Independent News Alliance (CINA), a group of 73 California-owned and operated community newsrooms. Our members stand for the interests of the 200-plus remaining independent news outlets in California. We strongly support AB 611, to slow the consolidation of local newspapers from corporate takeovers. Lack of competition and diversity of ownership threatens journalistic integrity and community access to reliable news.
AB 611 is backed by labor groups, California Common Cause, Rebuild Local News, and the California Independent News Alliance. It requires a waiting period before a legacy local news outlet can sell to a huge company, giving labor and communities a chance to make an offer to keep the publication locally owned and independent. This legislation does not apply to broadcasters or any news outlet that is being sold to an independent operator.
AB 611 gives time for employees and communities to put an offer together, slows the absorption of California’s local news outlets into chain-media companies, and encourages local owners to reach out in their own communities and to other independent operators before handing the keys to a chain-news company.
The power of connected independent news publishers, in our newly formed California Independent News Alliance (CINA), was demonstrated in June 2025 when a public notice bill,
AB 1444, was made “inactive” by author Assemblymember Health Flora. Thank you.
Rather than quietly passing a bill that added millions in annual costs to California’s newspapers, a chorus of voices from CINA’s 73 members — representing 200-plus California-owned and operated newspapers helped to stop (for now) a bill that could never have passed the reasonability test.
To succeed, the sponsor of the bill, California News Publishers Association (CNPA), was dependent upon publishers and legislators unaware of the ramifications of the legislation. It claimed to lawmakers and its members — but not before things were going sideways — that opponents didn’t understand AB 1444 and that it was good for the future of public notice and good for newspaper publishers. It wasn’t.
Passage would have been a boon for CNPA, which would have been placed in the permanent role of Public Notice gatekeeper; installed as controllers of a toll booth set up for publishers to add a new cost of goods chart to the long list draining news industry revenue.
This win for community adjudicated newspapers was achieved because information is power, and when newspapers learned through CINA what was going on, publishers got busy, a coalition was built, and Assemblymember Flora and other Assemblymembers listened.
In this legislative example we are reminded that sunshine truly is the best disinfectant. The mission of our alliance is to accurately inform and gather input from our membership and use it to support, connect, promote and advocate for the business interests and editorial quality of California’s independent news outlets. And, as we have seen already, we are stronger together as California's local independent news outlets.
Take action: Thank Assemblymember Heath Flora and the legislators who listened to those who would be adversely affected by the Bill. Next, raise your hand and become a CINA member, follow our socials (FB, X, LinkedIn), sign up for our Substack emails, keep sharing information and editorial comments with the board, and pitch in as you are able. Let's keep growing our alliance.
CINA CEO
Publisher, Ojai Valley News Ventura County Sun, Ojai Magazine Ojai Media LLC
CINA Board of Directors
President & Publisher, East Bay
Embarcadero Media
Danville San Ramon, Livermore Vine, Pleasanton Weekly
gchannell@embarcaderomedia.org
Almanac, Atascadero News, Brentwood Press, Chino Valley Champion, Claremont Courier Coachella Valley Independent, Coastal View News, Compton Bulletin, Coronado Eagle, Journal Danville, SanRamon.com, East Bay Express Escalon Times, Fullerton Observer, Gilroy Dispatch, Good Times Santa Cruz, Gustine Press-Standard, Healdsburg Tribune, Hollister Freelance, Impulso, King City Rustler, La Nueva Voz, Larchmont Chronicle, Livermore Vine, Malibu Times, Manteca Bulletin, Mariposa Gazette, Metro Silicon Valley, Mid Valley Times, Moonshine Ink, Morgan Hill Times, Mountain View Voice, North Bay Bohemian, North Coast Journal, Oakdale Leader, Ojai Valley News | Ventura County Sun, Pace News, Pacific Sun, Palo Alto Online, Palo Alto Weekly, Paso Robles Press, Patterson Irrigator, Pleasanton Weekly, Point Reyes Light, Press Banner, Redwood City Pulse, Riverbank News, The Salinas Valley Tribune, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint, San Jose Inside, Santa Barbara Independent, Santa Clara Weekly, Santa Paula Times, Shafter Press, Wasco Tribune, The Ark, The Ceres Courier, The Desert Review, The Downey Patriot, The Ferndale Enterprise, The Independent, The Norwalk Patriot, The Pajaronian, The Riverside Record, The Sun-Gazette, Tracy Press, Tuesday Review, Turlock Journal, Vallejo Sun Valley News Group, Vida Newspaper, West Side Index
Send us an email for more information, to sign up for newsletters, or to join our membership.
We look forward to hearing from you and working together to revive and sustain local independent news outlets in California.
206 North Signal Street, Ojai, CA, USA
