The Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal are joining The LA Local, a regional nonprofit aimed at expanding community-based journalism across Los Angeles County, the organization announced Tuesday.
Under the arrangement, the Long Beach outlets will retain their local leadership and branding while gaining financial support, expanded reporting resources and access to a broader network of regional news organizations, according to The LA Local.
Officials said the move is intended to stabilize and grow local news coverage in Long Beach, where media organizations have faced financial pressures in recent years.
“Long Beach residents deserve journalism that reflects their lives, their neighborhoods and their city,” Michele Siqueiros, founding CEO of The LA Local, said in a statement.
“Welcoming them into The LA Local means more resources for the reporters who show up every day for this community, and more ways for residents to engage with the coverage that affects them most,” Siqueiros added.
The two publications became nonprofit outlets in 2023 under the Long Beach Journalism Initiative and will continue day-to-day operations with a local focus, officials said.
Melissa Evans, who previously served as CEO of the Long Beach Journalism Initiative, will remain in a leadership role as managing director for Long Beach, overseeing fundraising and community engagement, officials said. Jeremiah Dobruck will continue as the newsroom’s top editor.
The LA Local said it also plans to expand programs in Long Beach, including its LA Documenters initiative, which trains residents to cover public meetings, and a youth journalism program aimed at high school students.
“This integration gives us greater stability and the ability to keep growing from a stronger foundation, while preserving the local reporting Long Beach deserves,” Evans said.
The LA Local operates community-focused newsrooms across Los Angeles County and partners with more than 20 media outlets and universities.