LA Times recognizes Richmond Confidential

“Richmond Confidential may be one of the most important newsgathering enterprises in the country right now,” wrote LA Times columnist Michael Hiltzik. The hyperlocal site fills the void left by the Bay Areas daily newspapers, he added, which devote scant resources to covering the city of 107,000.

Hiltzik singled out first-year student Harriet Rowan (’16) and praised her for her excellent coverage of Chevron’s financial contributions to local elections. In a pair of articles published in the first two weeks of October, Rowan reported on how Chevron contributed $3 million to three campaign committees aimed at influencing the Richmond mayoral and city council races.

The J-School launched Richmond Confidential as part of the School’s J200 curriculum in 2009 to provide first year-students with a platform to develop basic reporting skills. “The students are learning while practicing journalism that has a real impact in the community,” instructor Robert Rogers told the LA Times.