Mission Local

Mission Local
TypeLocal news website
FormatOnline
OwnerIndependent
FounderLydia Chavez
PublisherLydia Chavez
LanguageEnglish and Spanish
Headquarters2489 Mission St. #22
San Francisco, California, 94110
U.S.
Websitemissionlocal.org

Mission Local is a bilingual local independent online news site that also publishes a semiannual printed paper that covers the Mission District of San Francisco.

History

In 2008, UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism received funding from the Ford Foundation to launch several hyperlocal news websites, including Mission Local, Oakland North and Richmond Confidential, focusing on “underserved” Bay Area neighborhoods. With Berkeley professor Lydia Chavez serving as the founder and executive editor, Mission Local provided students with the opportunity to gain “hands-on reporting experience” by covering the latest happenings across the San Francisco's Mission District. In 2009, Mission Local began publishing news in Spanish in addition to English.

In February 2014, Edward Wasserman, the Dean of Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, announced that Mission Local will re-launch as an independent, for-profit standalone media operation. In his memo, he clarified that the decision to withdraw funding, faculty support and student participation was prompted by Mission Local’s operating costs. He also said that the news website “distracted students from the core curriculum of the program.”

Mission Local became a fiscally sponsored nonprofit in 2018, and its own nonprofit in 2022.[non-primary source needed]

Staff and features

In 2024, Christopher Haugh, Doug Ng and Genisha Saverimuthu were unanimously elected to Mission Local’s board for three-year terms starting January 1, 2025. The announcement also acknowledged the departure of Mimi Chakarova, Bulgarian-American photographer and filmmaker, who was a member of Mission Local’s inaugural board. Joe Eskenazi, the managing editor of Mission Local was re designated to an ex-officio position on the board.[non-primary source needed]

On January 28, 2015, a 108-year-old Mission Street building which housed the offices of Mission Local caught fire. The fire resulted in the loss of one life, and left 58 homeless. Mission Local continued to cover the fire extensively despite the “unsalvageable” damage to the office space.

As of 2014, the website distributes 10,000 free, printed editions of Mission Local as a newspaper twice a year.[non-primary source needed]

Awards

In June 2009, Mission Local won a Webby Award for being the best student news site in the country.

Mission Local staff won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California chapter in 2010,[non-primary source needed] 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Mission local also won California Journalism Awards in 2024.

See also

References

  1. ↑ DeRienzo, Matt. "Lion Member Spotlight: Mission Local". Lion Publishers. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  2. ↑ Salkever, Alex (9 September 2011). "Mission Local: A Hyperlocal that Does It Right". Street Fight (magazine). Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  3. ↑ Rodriguez, Joe Fitzgerald (March 4, 2014). "Neighborhood news hole". San Francisco Bay Guardian. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Lichterman, Joseph (February 27, 2014). "Cut loose by UC Berkeley, hyperlocal site Mission Local looks to spin off as a for-profit". Nieman Lab. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Lydia Chavez Professor". U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  6. ↑ Montgomery, Kevin (26 February 2014). "UC Berkeley Cuts off Support for Mission Local". Uptown Almanac. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  7. ↑ Dinkelspiel, Frances (December 12, 2024). "Mission Local adds three new members to its Board of Directors". Mission Local. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  8. ↑ Dinkelspiel, Frances (2024-12-12). "Mission Local adds three new members to its Board of Directors". Mission Local. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
  9. ↑ Chavez, Lydia (10 October 2014). "FAQs: Mission Local's Membership Drive". Mission Local. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  10. ↑ Williams, Kale. "Deadly Mission District fire determined likely accident". SF Gate. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  11. ↑ Asimov, Nanette. "Blogger's Mission fire victim fund tops $122,000". SF Gate. Retrieved October 31, 2005.
  12. ↑ Valencia, Andrea (9 December 2014). "Our Print Edition Hits the Streets!". Mission Local. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  13. ↑ "2009 Annual Webby Awards". The Webby Awards. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ "About". Mission Local. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  15. ↑ LaHood, Lila (2015-10-22). "SPJ NORCAL HONORS 2015 EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARD WINNERS". SPJ NorCal. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  16. ↑ Taylor, Tracey (2018-11-13). "Berkeleyside's Frances Dinkelspiel wins SPJ excellence award for longform story on Milo Yiannopoulos". Berkeleyside. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  17. ↑ LaHood, Lila (2018-10-31). "2018 EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARD WINNERS". SPJ NorCal. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  18. ↑ LaHood, Lila (2019-10-29). "2019 EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARD WINNERS". SPJ NorCal. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  19. ↑ LaHood, Lila (2021-02-03). "SPJ NorCal Honors 2020 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners". SPJ NorCal. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  20. ↑ LaHood, Lila (2022-11-21). "SPJ NorCal Honors 2022 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners". SPJ NorCal. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  21. ↑ Mojadad, Ida (2023-11-14). "SPJ NorCal Honors 2023 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners". SPJ NorCal. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  22. ↑ "Bay Area News Group reporters, photographers honored with NorCal journalism awards". Bay Area News Group. 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2026-09-21 – via The Mercury News.
  23. ↑ Mojadad, Ida (2024-10-30). "SPJ NorCal Honors 2024 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners". SPJ NorCal. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  24. ↑ LaHood, Lila (2025-10-30). "SPJ NorCal Honors 2025 Excellence in Journalism Award Winners". SPJ NorCal. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  25. ↑ "Congratulations to the 2024 CJA Winners!". CNPA. Retrieved 2026-09-21.
  26. ↑ B, Marke (2024-07-15). "48hills wins four prestigious California Journalism Awards". 48 hills. Retrieved 2026-09-21.