Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer

• L.A. Local News Initiative
• September 10, 2024
• Los Angeles, CA

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About LA Local News Initiative

Los Angeles Local News Initiative (LALNI) is a visionary, philanthropically driven media startup designed to disrupt traditional local news models by addressing the diverse needs of LA's communities. Recognizing that no single news entity can fully serve all Angelenos, LALNI aims to create a more inclusive news ecosystem that fosters civic engagement, accountability, and community investment.

Founded in 2024, LALNI is a coalition of over two dozen organizations and philanthropists working together to support local news. Guided by input from nearly 900 LA residents, this coalition represents a groundbreaking collaboration between philanthropy, media, and community organizations to fill information gaps, strengthen local democracy, and better serve Angelenos.

LALNI emphasizes equity and representation, ensuring news coverage reflects and serves the city's unique cultural landscape. With a mission to foster community cohesion and empower local voices, LALNI aspires to be a unifying force that strengthens LA's civic fabric.

Our Values

• Free, Independent Local Press: We believe all Angelenos deserve to have a source of unbiased information that equips them to thrive in their daily lives. Our work will meet high journalism standards, be independent, non-partisan, and free to access. We’ll prioritize reaching as many Angelenos as possible, in the most effective ways possible.
• Community-first: We center the needs of local communities, with an ultimate goal to strengthen communities and make LA work better for Angelenos. Journalism should be focused on serving people most affected by the subject matter and equipping them to take action.
• Equity & Inclusion: We need a representative, equitable, and inclusive local press. Newsrooms should be representative of the communities they cover, shift narratives to be centered on community perspectives, and provide pathways into newsgathering for residents.
• Trust: We believe that building trust must be a core principle of our journalism. As a baseline, the journalism we support must be accurate, independent, unbiased, non-partisan, and a trusted source of shared facts by the communities we serve.

The new initiative will take a multi-pronged ecosystem approach by:

• Investing in the expansion of a community-centered, hyperlocal journalism model developed by Boyle Heights Beat, a trusted newsroom serving Boyle Heights and East LA, so that more communities in LA can get quality, independent news relevant to their neighborhoods, produced by people who are rooted in their communities.
• Facilitating additional reporting resources at LAist and CalMatters for investments in local beats and state government reporting, making these resources available to ecosystem partners, while continuing to rally philanthropy to advance local news as a mechanism for civic engagement.
• Fostering collaboration among ecosystem partners, by coordinating content sharing, and providing shared resources that will help existing news outlets in LA do more reporting and bring more journalism to more people.

Learn more about the LA Local News Initiative at .

The Opportunity

The LA Local News Initiative is seeking a founding Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the development of this start-up nonprofit news organization serving Los Angeles with the timely, factual, and relevant news residents need to participate and thrive in their communities.

The successful candidate will be a strategic leader, passionate about independent journalism as an essential public service, and someone who approaches their work with a deep commitment to collaboration, a can-do spirit, and a healthy combination of humility and aspiration. Cultivating relationships, building a team, and navigating both the potential and the ambiguity inherent in a start-up, the CEO will be energized by problem-solving and excited to “build the plane as we fly it.”

The CEO will lead strategic planning to build a sustainable, local, community-focused organization and be at the forefront of the movement to expand non-profit, trusted journalism in Los Angeles for underserved audiences, while respecting and collaborating with existing media organizations. They will coordinate the organization’s fundraising efforts across a diverse mix of revenue streams, and build the financial, human resources, and administrative infrastructure to support fast-paced growth while cultivating an inclusive and equitable organizational culture. As a partner for the editorial team, which will report to the CEO, they will be a champion for newsrooms in the organization, maintaining relationships with funders and sponsors, while protecting the independence of the team.

This leader will play a pivotal role in highlighting the significance of philanthropy in supporting local news, now recognized as essential for civic engagement and community building. While the CEO will receive support from the American Journalism Project’s business team and Startup Studio, they must bring the drive and passion to lead an organization grounded in journalism, ethics, and First Amendment values.

This is a unique opportunity for someone deeply committed to revitalizing local news in Los Angeles and its essential public mission.

Candidate Profile

The CEO will be a mission-driven leader with strong community ties and a deep appreciation for journalism’s role in a healthy democracy. A deep understanding of Los Angeles’ unique challenges and a passion for fostering a more equitable and engaged media landscape are key.

The ideal candidate will have many of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and competencies:

Visionary and Entrepreneurial Leadership

This role requires a visionary leader skilled in navigating the uncertainties of a new venture while focusing on long-term sustainability. With executive experience in nonprofits, media, or for-profit sectors, the CEO will craft a bold strategy to establish the organization as a trusted news source, while managing the challenges of building from the ground up. With a focus on innovation and public service journalism, the CEO will build and inspire a dynamic team, cultivate partnerships, and foster an inclusive culture that upholds integrity and independence in reporting. They will also work closely with a high-performing Board of Directors, leveraging their expertise to ensure strong governance and organizational growth.

Fundraising Expertise and External Relations