In 2021, a small group of local journalists in Stockton recognized a growing problem.
Their hometown – some 320,000 people, in a county of nearly 800,000 – faced many of the most important issues in society. Its agricultural and shipping-port industries had faced a changing economy. Its civic institutions had faced controversies, budget shortfalls and historical inequities. But now Stockton also faced a critical lack of independent reporting on current events.
Legacy news sources continued to shrink, and unreliable information online was filling the void. There weren’t enough journalists to scrutinize government agencies and local elected officials.
Those journalists also envisioned the solution. It was a nonprofit, digital-native news source called Stocktonia. It would be devoted to the most important news in Stockton and San Joaquin County, and guided by the best practices in journalism. After nearly two years of planning, Stocktonia launched in 2022.
The newsroom covered the ongoing turmoil of civic events: Changing oversight and policies on a rising wave of homelessness. Scathing new reports revealing evidence of misspending and public corruption. Oil spills and pollution in the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta – including the sinking and refloating of an iconic vintage cruise ship.
In 2024, Stocktonia became a part of NEWSWELL, a nonprofit devoted to finding new ways to help local news – and local communities – thrive. Today, Stocktonia employs one of the largest teams of local journalists in the region. With community support, it continues to grow.
Editor Scott Linesburgh, who has worked as a journalist in Stockton for the past 35 years, leads a team that is proudly local and devoted to the city they call home.
Contact the newsroom at info@stocktonia.org.