A nonprofit newsroom for Richmond
People across Richmond want more reliable, independent news about what’s happening in their city. We’re launching a free nonprofit news outlet to serve residents with original local reporting and information about Richmond and what makes this city unique.
Welcome to Richmondside.
Who we are
It all started in late 2009 when three journalist friends living in Berkeley, CA, decided to address the information gap in their city by starting a digital-only local news site called Berkeleyside. Fast-forward to 2019, and in collaboration with new partners and leaders, they launched the Cityside Journalism Initiative to bring more great local journalism to the Bay Area. Berkeleyside has been joined by Nosh, providing news about the East Bay’s dynamic food scene, and The Oaklandside, which launched during the pandemic lockdown in June 2020 to serve Oaklanders. Together, those outlets reach more than 500,000 people in the East Bay every month. Cityside is now excited to add Richmondside to the line-up of communities we serve. Learn more about Cityside.
As a nonprofit newsroom, Richmondside depends on support from the community. Your tax-deductible donation will fund quality journalism that makes an impact.
How we’re building Richmondside with community input
Starting in spring 2023, Cityside began a concerted listening effort in Richmond. As part of the program, we hired four community listening consultants with deep connections to the city. We talked with more than 150 people from across Richmond to learn what they want and need from local news.
We want to hear from you
Tell us what you think
Let’s meet up!
Come chat with us in person about what you want from Richmondside.
Wednesday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Kaleidoscope Coffee
109 Park Pl., Richmond
Saturday, Dec. 16, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
The Backyard
205 Cutting Blvd., Richmond
FAQs
Who is behind Richmondside?
Cityside Journalism Initiative is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization that is launching Richmondside. We already run Berkeleyside (launched in 2009) and The Oaklandside (launched in 2020). Learn more about Cityside.
Where does your money come from?
Our nonprofit model relies on four main sources of funding to support our journalism: We get grants from national and local foundations; we get support from individual donors, mostly located in the East Bay; readers donate through membership (Oaklandside and Berkeleyside between them have nearly 8,000 members); and we get sponsorship revenue from mostly local businesses and organizations.
Some of the launch funding for Richmondside has come from the Google News Initiative and the Hellman Foundation. All of Cityside’s donors who have given more than $1,000 are publicly disclosed.
Are you affiliated with any Richmond organizations?
Richmondside, and its parent nonprofit organization Cityside, are completely independent of any external organizations.
There are already news outlets serving Richmond. What is your relationship with them?
We believe in collaboration, not competition. We think more journalism is better than less journalism and so we aim to add to good reporting already being done in Richmond. We look forward to collaborating with others who are already addressing Richmond’s information needs.
Why aren’t you reporting anything yet?
We’re eager to get started reporting for Richmonders! We need do the necessary preparatory work first, including getting the right staff in place, before we have reporters and editors on the ground.
What are you planning to report on?
The goal of our community listening work was to learn about the information needs of Richmonders. The feedback many Richmonders have provided us (and we want to hear more from you!) will help us determine our reporting priorities from the start. We know we won’t be able to cover everything right away, but if we get the support needed to build our Richmond newsroom, we will expand our coverage in line with Richmonders’ needs.
Who have you been speaking to in Richmond?
We started our community listening efforts in Richmond in the spring of 2023. We hired four Richmonders to help us with one-on-one interviews, and we held a number of virtual group meetings as well. We’ve spoken to nearly 150 people in Richmond so far. Learn more about our listening work.
Where will you be based?
We’ll have a newsroom in Richmond. We’re still trying to figure out where.
Are you hiring?
Yes! We’ll very soon be hiring for Richmondside. And, as our support grows, we’ll be able to grow our Richmondside team. Sign up for the Richmondside newsletter to be among the first to learn about future job openings.
I still have questions. How can I find out more about Richmondside?
Sign up for our Richmondside newsletter where we will be providing updates about our plans and progress. You can also reach out directly to Cityside’s community journalism director, Jacob Simas, at hello@richmondside.org.