our region is grappling with big decisions that will shape our future. The flow of information and ideas is critical to public engagement in the choices we make.

Yet the changing media landscape has severely curtailed local reporting. Since 2007, over 200 newspapers have gone out of print and nearly 15,000 local journalism jobs across the country have been cut. Remaining local outlets are pared down, unable to cover local issues as they once did.

Local reporting “is crucial to the functioning of the community — and even democracy itself,” but is at risk of being lost, the FCC recently noted.

Local journalism, both as independent analyst and as watchdog, is vital to a region’s health — and going without it is dangerous. An ill-conceived sewer plant deal bankrupted an Alabama county in 2011. After its local paper shut down in 1998, nobody in Bell, California knew to question town officials granting themselves exorbitant salaries for more than a decade, wasting millions of dollars.

It’s vital that the people of the Sacramento region be smart about the decisions we make. Recognizing an urgent gap, KVIE Public Television has strengthened its commitment to providing a media space for thorough analysis and discussion of the big questions confronting our region. The new KVIE Fund for Local Journalism will ensure that leaders, and indeed all citizens, can be well informed about substantial topics at the local level.

for Local Journalism, we’ll investigate issues, seek answers, celebrate our region, understand new viewpoints, and delve deeper into our challenges with new programs about Northern California. Your gift will fund the media space where our leaders and our citizens navigate the pathway forward with a clear view to our future. Please Contact: David Lowe President & General Manager KVIE Public Television 2030 W. El Camino Avenue Sacramento, CA 95833 (916) 641-3561 dlowe@kvie.org