Ally Markovich

Cityside is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism organization in the Bay Area with three local news sites: Berkeleyside (founded 2009), Oaklandside (2020) and Richmondside (2024). Cityside also publishes Nosh, award-winning East Bay food coverage. Cityside’s journalism seeks to buttress community connections, and help people feel more engaged with their city and with one another. We reach over 500,000 East Bay residents monthly. Cityside was founded by journalists Frances Dinkelspiel, Lance Knobel, Tasneem Raja and Tracey Taylor. Frances, Lance, and Tracey started Berkeleyside in 2009 because they were concerned about the dearth of local reporting on Berkeley. Their instincts and journalism experience helped develop a respected and influential model for trusted, intensely local news. When Tasneem joined the founding team in 2019 Cityside gained insight and experience in nonprofit, community journalism. Our work has taught us that a strong community focus, an unswerving commitment to covering local stories that matter to residents, and an openness to dialogue create a powerful bond with our readers and enable trusted, valuable journalism. Our goal is to amplify community voices, share the power of real information, and investigate systems, not just symptoms. Cityside and its newsrooms are a shining light in an otherwise gloomy landscape for local news nationally. The 2025 Local Journalist Index revealed in stark detail the stunning collapse in local reporting In the United States. Less than a quarter-century ago, the US had about 40 journalists per 100,000 residents on average. Now, the equivalent number is 8.2 Local Journalist Equivalents, about a 75% decline Communities without reliable local news are poorly informed and vulnerable to the spread of misinformation. They see lower voting rates, more partisanship, and less civic engagement, all of which contribute to an unhealthy democracy. Cityside is a model for what local journalism can look like nationwide.