Michele's List
Building blocks in the emerging local news ecosystem

Visit the site
Statistics
Unique monthly visitors

9,000
Revenue

  • $50,000 or less
Primary revenue source(s)

  • Large donations ($1,000 or more)
Alhambra Source
California
Phoenix Tso

Alhambra Source is a nonprofit organization that serves a city of about 85,000, predominantly Asian and Hispanic immigrants, in California's San Gabriel Valley. Launched in 2010 by the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, the organization in 2017 began a two-year transition toward becoming an indepenent outlet. The site relies on community contributors working with a professional journalist. The site seeks to serve "as a forum for local voices, and a platform for the expression and development of writers, videographers, and photographers." Bonus points: Content in Spanish and Mandarin as well as English.

City

Alhambra

State

CA

Zip code

91801

Year launched

2010

Tax status

  • Under umbrella organization with 501c3 status

Geographic scope

  • Metro or large city

Other geographic focus

Small suburban city: 85,000 residents in LA County suburb.

Scope of coverage

  • Emphasize several topics but not cover all the news broadly

Topics of coverage

  • Crime & justice
  • Education & schools
  • Food
  • Government & politics
  • Race & ethnicity

Watchdog journalism?

  • Yes, infrequently

Facebook link

www.facebook.com/alhambrasource

Site Twitter handle

alhambra_source

In the news

We received a lot of coverage around Weibo (scroll down for that):
10.28.12 Online Journalism Review http://www.ojr.org/p2093/ How a Youth Reporter Corps Could Help Reinvigorate Local Journalism

01.26.13 Future News (New Zealand) http://futurenews.co.nz/2013/01/26/can-hyperlocal-news-increase-civic-engagement/ Can hyperlocal news increase civic engagement?

2.22.13 Online Journalism Review http://www.ojr.org/with-hyperlocal-forums-on-the-rise-will-they-replace-or-complement-local-news/ With Hyperlocal Forums on the Rise, Will they Replace or Complement Local News

2.22.13 GOOD mag http://www.good.is/posts/hyperlocal-news-sites-like-nextdoor-give-local-news-a-makeover-foster-neighborliness Hyperlocal Sites like Nextdoor Aim to Give Local News a Makeover, Foster Neighborliness

2.23.13 Die Presse (Austrian publication) http://diepresse.com/home/kultur/medien/1348324/Internet-statt-LA-Times Internet statt "L.A. Times."

1.19.13 Taz.de (Germany) http://www.taz.de/1/archiv/digitaz/artikel/?ressort=fl&dig=2013%2F01%2F19%2Fa0060&cHash=36ba6d0ef9bfbdfb447ac124ca24e27d Jenseits von Los Angeles

5.13.13 Pacific Standard Magazine http://www.psmag.com/culture/alhambra-source-citizen-journalism-55541/ The Melting Pot Gazette: Can a sociologist and a journalist get an ethnically fractured community engaged?

5.13.13 FishBowl LA http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/usc-annenberg-alhambra-experiment-running-out-of-funding_b88099 USC Annenberg Alhambra Experiment Running Out of Funds

12.9.13 Pasadena Star-News http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/government-and-politics/20131209/alhambra-police-department-first-in-nation-to-use-weibo-the-chinese-twitter Alhambra Police Department First in Nation to Use Weibo - the Chinese Twitter

12.9.13 World Journal http://www.worldjournal.com/view/full_lax_14/24194724/article-%E5%85%A8%E7%BE%8E%E9%A6%96%E5%AE%B6%E8%AD%A6%E5%B1%80-

12.9.13 US China Daily News http://www.uscnd.com/article/article-c174530.aspx

12.10.13 China Watch http://chinawatch.washingtonpost.com/2013/12/california-police-department-will-sign-up-for-sina-weibo---chinese-twitter.php California police department will sign up for Sina Weibo - Chinese 'twitter'

12.13.13 KPCC http://www.scpr.org/blogs/multiamerican/2013/12/13/15393/alhambra-police-weibo-chinese-social-media-microbl/ Alhambra police use Chinese microblogging site Weibo for outreach (photos)

12.17.13 USC News http://news.usc.edu/#!/article/57909/alhambra-police-build-online-bridge-with-chinese-community/ Alhambra police build online bridge with Chinese community

7.11.14 LA Times http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-cops-weibo-20140711-story.html#page=1 Alhambra police work social media beat to reach Chinese speakers Frank Shuyong

08.4.14 The Local News Lab http://localnewslab.org/2014/08/04/journalisms-theory-of-change-from-community-engagement-to-civic-action/ Journalism's Theory of Change: From Community Engagement to Civic Action Josh Stearns

08.5.14 Next City http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/social-media-police-twitter-facebook Police get smarter about social media Christopher Moraff

8.22.14 Poynter http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/newsgathering-storytelling/eyes-on-the-news/265057/was-ferguson-a-news-desert-until-two-weeks-ago/ Was Ferguson a ‘news desert’ until two weeks ago? Rick Edmonds