About the San Francisco Public Press

Noncommercial Public-Interest News for the Bay Area

What we do

The San Francisco Public Press is an independent nonprofit, noncommercial news organization dedicated to producing important local public-interest news. We do for print and Web journalism what public broadcasting has done for radio and television.

The Public Press provides context-rich, nonpartisan journalism that fills the void of hard-hitting accountability reporting left by the downsizing of the commercial press over the last decade. More than 70 professional freelance journalists and volunteers write, edit and distribute the news, and use social media to encourage conversation among under-served communities.

We publish online and quarterly in our advertising-free broadsheet newspaper for sale at more than 50 local retail locations. We also distribute copies free to senior, community and public health centers.

The Public Press supports other local public media and public-affairs programs by highlighting the best stories from more than 30 nonprofit partners, including KQED Radio, KALW Radio, the Center for Investigative Reporting, California Watch, Bay Nature magazine, Earth Island Journal, Shareable.net, National Radio Project, New America Media, Mission Local, Oakland Local, the Commonwealth Club of California and the World Affairs Council.

Our journalism

Online since March 2009, the Public Press has published quarterly newspapers since June 2010. Each features original reporting, stories from our partners and team-reported special projects. Our cover stories so far:

• Cost overruns on the Bay Bridge (with McSweeney’s Panorama)
• Treasure Island: redevelopment on shaky ground
• Efforts to improving Muni’s on-time record through technology
• The Bay Area media meltdown
• The struggle to balance San Francisco’s budget
• The battle against human trafficking
• Regional approach to climate change by promoting smart growth
• San Francisco law enforcement’s uneven efforts on domestic violence
• ... and hundreds of other under-reported topics

Toward sustainable local public media

We have received support from the San Francisco Foundation, numerous other institutional funders and more than 200 individual donors. Our long-term goal is to build a nonprofit news organization supported significantly by local membership. Cultivating a broad base of public support requires producing important, in-depth investigations that build a loyal audience and encourages readers to become members like in public broadcasting. Please donate to support our reporting. The San Francisco Public Press is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Recent video coverage of the Public Press

Nov. 6, 2012: Mark Glaser, who directs PBS Mediashift interviews the Public Press’ Michael Stoll about print and Web coverage of the 2012 local elections, which it in collaboration with researchers at the University of California and the League of Women Voters San Francisco. See the entire live-streamed election-day  lineup of journalists discussing their coverage.

Oct. 30, 2012: Devin London, a student from the Academy of Art University.

April 10, 2012: “Dan Rather Reports” on the Public Press’ 2-1/2 year quest for official 501(c)3 nonprofit status from the IRS. The organization was ultimately successful.