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The Oaklandside is a nonprofit newsroom that’s already covered the pandemic and protests
Oakland’s newest newsroom wasn’t supposed to launch until today. And today, it does officially launch. But The Oaklandside, a nonprofit, online newsroom, really got started as the pandemic stopped nearly everything else.
“We’re journalists,” said Tasneem Raja, editor-in-chief, of her team’s thinking. “We need to get to work.”
And so the staff of seven got to work.
Azucena Rasilla, an arts and community reporter, called 40 pharmacies to see who was open and where people could get their prescriptions filled.
Natalie Orenstein, who covers housing and homelessness, is working on a FAQ on evictions.
Ashley McBride, who covers education (and is a former Poynter colleague), wrote about a nine-year campaign to remove police from Oakland schools.
And Jacob Simas, managing editor, reported on how curfews have been used throughout history to “to quash civil unrest, suppress social justice movements and curtail the movement of specific groups, especially people of color.”
They covered protests and schools and launched a newsletter.
It’s not breaking news, and it’s not meant to be, Raja said. Instead, The Oaklandside wants to offer information, context and history.
“We’re also looking to be the place where you’re going to hear perspectives and voices that you’re just not going to hear in other places,” she said.
The creation of The Oaklandside was announced at the end of last year. It was funded with $1.56 million from Google News Initiative. Cityside, a new nonprofit
Read more here: https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2020/a-newsroom-launches-in-oakland-today-months-after-it-actually-got-going/