What we borrow from traditional local papers

The internet is awash with opinions. When it comes to new facts, there’s a trickle. Just as Time magazine’s name was a promise to value readers’ time, LA Reported’s name represents a pledge to prioritize the original, independent reporting that is the raw material of any good story. Our new economic model is built to maximize the amount of reporting time in every piece we publish.

To increase quality, LA Reported will strictly limit not just the number and length of stories we publish, but also the subject areas we cover. Most local news nonprofits attempt to replicate the coverage area of a traditional local paper with an editorial staff that is less than 1/20th the size. LA Reported’s mission will not be: “do as good a job covering everything a local newspaper used to,” but rather: “do a better job covering a small number of subjects that matter most.”

The aim is to excel in a handful of beats—housing, transportation and criminal justice— by developing sources and expertise. Once this model succeeds and demonstrates its ability to self-fund, we can grow organically to add other important coverage areas. In our vision of the future of non-profit news, there won’t be one or two big nonprofits to replace every big newspaper, but a half dozen or more smaller sites that are both competitors and compliments, each specializing in their own handful of coverage areas.

Many of today’s nonprofit websites, while well intentioned, have drifted away from the best traditions of American journalism. There is a tendency to have an organization come to resemble the political leanings of its employees.

While there is no simple definition of “proper” journalism, LA Reported will be built to be independent, non-partisan and to avoid ideological capture, from either side. Reporters and editors will be asked to endorse and adhere to a short statement of principles. Those principles will guide the organization for its three-year term. Among the critical principles:

Good reporting starts with humility, curiosity and an open mind. Advocacy journalism—journalism that pursues a predetermined conclusion—is an oxymoron. Finding and telling true stories—whatever that truth turns out to be—will benefit the citizens of Los Angeles. Good writing doesn’t tell, it shows. The best journalism surprises.

LA Reported will distinguish itself for what it won’t do. It won’t participate in the culture wars—on either side—and it won’t chase clicks. Instead we break local news stories that would otherwise go uncovered and unnoticed.