How The LA Local goes beyond the headlines

My neighborhood, our LA.

At The LA Local, one idea has become increasingly central to how we think about community journalism: service over status updates.

Of course people need to know what’s happening. But in moments of uncertainty or crisis, that’s only the beginning. We dig deeper: What does someone need to know next? Where can they find help? Who is making decisions? What resources are available? What are our readers entitled to? And how can they participate in shaping what follows?

That’s what guides our reporting of the Lineage warehouse fire, and it’s become one of the most important lessons we’ve taken from that experience. It has reinforced our belief that local journalism is strongest when it does more than explain what’s happening–it helps people navigate what’s next.

In July, that approach was visible across all our newsrooms.

More than a month after the Lineage warehouse fire, Boyle Heights Beat continues serving Eastside residents with trusted information where and when they need it most. Our reporting has expanded beyond cleanup updates to amplify community resources and mutual aid opportunities, support impacted small businesses, document residents’ concerns about lingering odors and pests, and connect community members with public officials responsible for the recovery. I recently shared more about why this work matters and what we’ve learned from it in this piece.

This same commitment extends beyond Boyle Heights. When toxic runoff from the fire traveled down the Los Angeles River into Long Beach, our Long Beach Post newsroom helped residents understand what happened, and what those events might mean for the city’s environmental future at a time when Long Beach is facing a serious budget deficit.

Across Koreatown, Pico Union, and Westlake, our reporters continue documenting how neighbors are caring for one another as their communities change–from organizations creating places of belonging to efforts preserving culture, supporting immigrant families, and strengthening community ties. Free haircuts for the unhoused, a Koreatown church food bank-turned immigrant sanctuary, and a new mural instilling a sense of home.

In Inglewood and South Los Angeles, we’re exploring who holds power in a changing city, covering everything from local elections, term limits, city planning, to the neighborhood businesses that continue serving their communities as national grocer chains reshape commercial corridors.

Different communities, different stories, but the same guiding question: How can our journalism be useful?

That’s what we mean by service above status updates. It’s an approach that recognizes local journalism as civic infrastructure, helping people make informed decisions, strengthening trust, and connecting communities to one another.

This newsletter offers a look inside that work, made possible by our team of reporters, editors, photographers, dedicated staff, LA Documenters, youth journalists, and community partners who show up every day to serve the neighborhoods they call home.

And it’s made possible by you. Whether you support The LA Local through giving, partnership, sharing our reporting, or simply encouraging others to engage with our work, you’re helping build a stronger, more connected Los Angeles.

Thank you for being part of it.

Michele Siqueiros

Chief Executive Officer

The LA Local

100 Days with Long Beach Post

Yesterday officially marked 100 days since the Long Beach Post joined us at The LA Local. We’ve spent the last 100 days learning and getting to know each other as we work together to strengthen local coverage across LA and Long Beach.

Our colleagues at the Post continue to call attention to the biggest issues facing Long Beach residents, including traffic safety and education, and celebrating the people, art, and culture that define Long Beach while earning award nominations for their journalism. Some of the Post’s standout reporting is below.

This Long Beach warehouse is ‘where food trucks are born.’ Meet the family behind it.

Courtesy of GoFundMe

8-year-old killed by car had chased ball into street, family says. They’re demanding safer roads.

Teachers say they’re being bitten, headbutted and bruised while trying to manage classrooms

City plans to cut hundreds of jobs, from fire captains to librarians, to cover multimillion-dollar shortfall

The LA Local is proud to power the Long Beach Post and, over the next few months, we’ll be doubling down on our community engagement efforts to ensure that the diverse voices of Long Beach inform and strengthen our coverage.

New at The LA Local

Youth Journalists Continue to Spotlight Local Stories

The LA Local’s 2026 graduates of our Youth Journalism program have continued uplifting the stories and people that comprise LA’s vibrant cultural fabric. Over the last month, youth journalists have covered how South LA food and coffee shops are giving back to the community, a Koreatown organization that’s increasing mental health awareness for Korean Americans, a cultural hub where LA’s South Asian and Bangladeshi population are finding support, and more.

All of our youth journalists are enrolling in a college or university this fall, where many of them will pursue journalism or community-centered careers. As we prepare to welcome in our next class of youth journalists, join us in celebrating the hard work of our graduates!

South Asian immigrant community find support, community with Little Bangladesh institution

by Marsiha Shams Mariya

Courtesy of Soh Yun Park

Mental health is not talked about among the Korean community. This phone line wants to change that.

by Joyce Kang

If you don’t know South LA’s Kobbler King, be sure to read this Q&A

by Hawaii Utterbach

LA used to jail people for sleeping on the street. A court case changed the city’s lens on homelessness

They fought for their children’s education and opened the door for generations of students

Read more in the series

Team Updates

Summer Staff Retreat

The LA Local and all 37 of our community newsroom staff gathered last week in South LA and Long Beach for our staff retreat. We kicked off with a pottery-making class, where we crowned the best and worst ceramic mug creations. Then, we got to work reflecting on the last 100 days with the Long Beach Post and discussing how our team can continue building on the Post’s
legacy of trusted local news. Special thanks to POT Gardens and Intertrend Communications hosting us in their wonderful art-filled spaces!

Let us know: have you ever made something that can rival our winners? Reply to this email with your submissions.

Best: Kitty mug by Koreatown, Pico Union,

Westlake Reporter Hanna Kang. 🐱

Worst: An ear mug by Community, Culture and Arts Editor Erick Galindo. Yes, the handle is an ear. 👂

We also welcomed Jazmyn De Jesus, our new Community Engagement Manager! Jazmyn will be advancing our community-centered efforts across LA County, with a focus on Long Beach, by strengthening local partnerships with community, school and neighborhood leaders, and helping us expand our network of residents to connect with. Please join us in welcoming her!

Jazmyn De Jesus

Community Engagement Manager

But The LA Local is not done growing yet. We’re looking for a reporter and a social media producer to support our Koreatown, Pico Union, Westlake newsroom. Learn more about the roles below and forward this email to anyone who might be interested!

Apply

Connecting With The LA Local

Our dedication to delivering trusted local news starts in conversation with community. The LA Local was on the move last month, reaching folks from Long Beach to Hollywood.

🏖️ Long Beach

We teamed up with Khmer Girls in Action for a community listening event in Long Beach. 30 Cambodian youth from across the region shared really matters to them: mental health resources, stories spotlighting Cambodian culture, food, and community, and greater youth-centered career and community opportunities.

CEO Michele Siqueiros also joined a panel discussion hosted by the Museum of Latin American Art at the Art Theater Long Beach for a special screening of "American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez," which celebrates the life and incredible career of Luis Valdez. The evening was a special reminder of how much richer the American story is when full representation is visible in the arts and all aspects of our society.

🎬 Hollywood

Our staff and volunteers were at CicLAvia: Meet the Hollywoods. It was a quintessential LA day as Angelenos took to the open streets, celebrated the World Cup finale, and many of you shared what you wanted to see in local media.

🎭 New Orleans

Boyle Heights Beat Senior Editor Jessica Perez and LA Local interns Mikaela Perez and Angelo Claure attended the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in New Orleans last month. They highlighted Boyle Heights Beat's critical on-the-ground reporting amid crises. It was also an opportunity for our next generation of journalists to learn from leading Latino media professionals about storytelling, media trends, and diversity in the field.

Making Room for Hope

LONG BEACH POST

Long Beach legalized home restaurants; a chef quickly pushed the idea to its limit

READ

INGLEWOOD & SOUTH LA

South LA advocacy group uplifts Black gay men through billboard campaign

READ

KOREATOWN, PICO UNION, WESTLAKE

The Westlake Theatre has sat vacant for decades in MacArthur Park. A new plan hopes to revive the space.

READ

BOYLE HEIGHTS BEAT

Free summer concerts are coming to Eastside parks. Here’s where to go.

READ

Become a Member & Uplift Community Stories

The LA Local is here to build with communities, celebrate what’s working, and hold power accountable when it’s not. This kind of journalism takes resources, patience, and partnership. Help power this work by becoming a founding member today with a gift of any size.

Support our work

LA used to jail people for sleeping on the street. A court case changed the city’s lens on homelessness

They fought for their children’s education and opened the door for generations of students

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