California Civic Media Program

About the Program

The California Civic Media Program is a $20 million public-private partnership with equal initial funding from the State of California and Google to support the work of California’s journalists and strengthen community engagement statewide.

All funding will be allocated at the direction of GO-Biz per Government Code § 12100.160 – 12100.162 (effective October 2025) and disbursed through a third-party administrator in the fall of 2026. GO-Biz has appointed and will consult an Advisory Board comprised of news leaders on how best to distribute the program’s funds.

Advisory Board

The Civic Media Program Advisory Board is comprised of nine California news industry leaders who will regularly convene throughout 2026 to inform the approach and guidelines of the program.

Arturo Carmona
President of the Latino Media Collaborative

Latino Media Collaborative Appointment

Chuck Corra
Associate Director of Policy & Advocacy at LION Publishers

LION Publishers Appointment

Erik Cushman
Publisher at Monterey County Weekly

California News Publishers Association Appointment

Julian Do
Co-Director of American Community Media

American Community Media Appointment

Sean Emery
President of the Media Guild of the West & Journalist at SCNG

Media Guild of the West Appointment

Jeff Glasser
General Counsel at the Los Angeles Times

California News Publishers Association Appointment

Marian Kaanon
President and CEO of the Stanislaus Community Foundation

At-Large Appointment

Julie Patel Liss
Head of Journalism, California State University, Los Angeles

At-Large Appointment

Regina Brown Wilson
Executive Director of California Black Media

California Black Media Appointment

Public Meetings and Resources: Advisory Board meetings will be accessible to the public. Meetings and related resources will be posted below in advance.

Civic Media Program Advisory Board Notice Agenda 02-20-26

Timeline

February 2026: Advisory Board Announced & Third-Party Administrator Selected

Spring 2026: Program Guidelines Released

Summer 2026: Application Window Opens

Fall 2026: Awards Announced

Please continue to check this page for updates, as more details regarding the program timeline will be added throughout the year.

Q&A

How was the advisory board selected and when will they meet?

The advisory board members were selected from a list of news industry organizations predesignated in statute, with two at-large seats chosen by GO-Biz. The advisory board meetings will be publicly noticed and accessible to the public.

How does the program work and what kinds of organizations qualify for the program?

Guidance on the program, qualifications, and application process will be released this spring.

Who is the third-party administrator for the state funds and how was the organization selected?

James B. McClatchy Foundation was selected as the third-party administrator for the state funds following a thorough RFP process. The Foundation is a California-based nonprofit with a track record of administering multimillion-dollar journalism and newsroom grant programs. For more information about the organization, please visit their website. Please continue to direct any program inquiries to CACivicMedia@gobiz.ca.gov.

Subscribe for Updates

More information will be released throughout 2026. Subscribe below to stay in touch on the latest.

Additional Questions?

Email CACivicMedia@gobiz.ca.gov