Julie Patel Liss, a veteran Indian American investigative reporter and educator has been tapped to help steer a multi-million dollar effort to revitalize California’s local news landscape.
Patel Liss an associate professor in the Department of Television, Film, and Media Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, will serve on the Civic Media Program advisory board.
Convened by the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), the group will oversee a $20 million initiative designed to support local journalism and deepen civic participation throughout California.
The program represents a significant public-private partnership, with funding split evenly between the state and Google. For Patel Liss, the mission is personal.
“Local news amplifies community voices, engages people in issues that affect them, and is a critical public good, much like libraries and schools,” Patel Liss said.
At Cal State LA, Patel Liss is known for her hands-on approach to journalism. She leads a program that often focuses on the “news deserts” of East and South Los Angeles, neighbourhoods that are frequently overlooked by larger media outlets. Her students have earned dozens of awards under her mentorship, reflecting a commitment to training the next generation of reporters from diverse backgrounds.
The new advisory board will play a pivotal role in determining how grants are distributed to newsrooms. Members include representatives from major outlets like the Los Angeles Times, as well as advocacy groups like the Latino Media Collaborative and California Black Media.
Dee Dee Myers, senior adviser to Gov. Gavin Newsom and director of GO-Biz, emphasized that the program is about more than just funding; it is about preserving democracy. She noted that an informed public is the bedrock of a healthy society and that the program aims to improve newsroom sustainability.
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Before her career in academia, Patel Liss built a formidable reputation as an investigative journalist. Her resume includes stints at the Center for Public Integrity, NPR’s Washington D.C. affiliate, and the San Jose Mercury News. She worked on several award-winning projects, including a multimedia story that earned a 2008 Emmy award.
Born in India and raised in Chicago, Patel Liss received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree from Stanford University.
Patel Liss hopes to represent the specific needs of journalism educators and students on the board. She believes that public universities have a unique responsibility to strengthen the local media ecosystem.
The Civic Media Program is expected to begin accepting grant applications this summer with the first round of awards to be announced in the fall, marking a new chapter for community-focused reporting in the Golden State.