Stocktonia Morning Briefing: Jan. 18, 2025

👋 At Stocktonia, we are driven by a desire to provide rigorous, ethical and factual news coverage of Stockton and San Joaquin County. This has been central to our mission since we launched in 2022.

Now, we are bolstering our commitment to this community with the launch of our community advisory board. The board is composed of a small group of members representing diverse backgrounds, experiences and interests who live in the greater Stockton area. Board members will help us reflect on how well we are serving our readers and how we can continually improve.

The board’s inaugural co-chairs are Deitra Kenoly and Marty Weybret, and they are joined by Phillip Merlo. I’d love to introduce them to you:

Deitra Kenoly is the former president and publisher of the Stockton Record; she currently owns Inside Out Lighting & Décor in Stockton. In addition to her nearly four decades in the media industry, Deitra previously served as president of the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce. 

Marty Weybret is the former publisher and owner of the Lodi News-Sentinel and in 2019 received a lifetime achievement award from the California Press Foundation in recognition of his more than 35 years of contributions to local journalism. He has served on the boards of various organizations, including the Rotary Club and the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

Phillip Merlo is the founder of Stocktonia and a local historian and educator currently serving as executive director of the San Joaquin County Historical Society & Museum. A fifth-generation Stocktonian and graduate of Franklin High School and UC Berkeley, Phillip also serves on the Stockton Cultural Heritage Board and the board of directors for Little Manila Rising, working to strengthen the region’s nonprofit and cultural infrastructure.

Each of our board members are excited about their new roles.

Deitra notes that “as a Stocktonian and former media executive, I understand the importance of an informed and engaged community. Stocktonia shares that sentiment.”

“The commitment to support and increase the effort to provide quality, local journalism for our community made my decision to join this board an easy one,” she said.

Marty says he values Stocktonia’s efforts to reinvent a “community information stream” that provides meaningful, relevant, democracy-affirming information. He recognizes that “in order for communities to thrive, people must know of the activities of their neighbors, local nonprofits, first responders, service and cultural groups, businesses, entertainment venues and political [figures].”

Phillip points out how important community-based journalism is for civil society.

“Rigorous, ethical and fact-based reporting helps the public build shared identity, and allows for people to orient themselves in society,” he said. “This region desperately needs strong journalism outlets, and I think Stocktonia can help fill that gap.”

At Stocktonia, we are working hard to make sure that our coverage and community engagement are as inclusive and meaningful as possible, and . Having an advisory board will enable us to do just that. I’m excited to see how Deitra, Marty and Phillip help boost the impact of our public-service journalism. 

Our local journalism is made possible by readers like you. Will you make a donation today to support our community-minded newsroom?

As always, I look forward to your feedback.The work stoppage involving nurses represented by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United will include a picket line at General Hospital.

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