INSIDE THE NEWSROOM
What goes into our reporting on Californiaās biggest issues ā how investigative stories come together, what challenges journalists face, CalMattersā latest plans and more.
Nonpartisan, independent California news for all
Weāre CalMatters, your nonprofit and nonpartisan news guide.
Our journalists are here to empower you and our mission continues to be essential.
- We are independent and nonpartisan. Our trustworthy journalism is free from partisan politics, free from corporate influence and actually free for all Californians.
- We are focused on California issues. From the environment to homelessness, economy and more, we publish the unfettered truth to keep you informed.
- We hold people in power accountable. We probe and reveal the actions and inactions of powerful people and institutions, and the consequences that follow.
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Every gift helps.
HEALTH
Series Spotlight
No Deliveries
Explore why hospitals are shutting down maternity wards, what this means for parents-to-be with limited options, and whether anything can be done to protect access.
POLITICS
Project Spotlight
Digital Democracy
Check out CalMatters’ custom-built AI tool that tracks every word spoken in public hearings, every dollar donated to politicians, every vote cast and more.
ENVIRONMENT
Series Spotlight
Lake Tahoe: A tarnished jewel
Lake Tahoe is an innocent victim ā but there isnāt just a single villain. This series reveals the problems plaguing this alpine treasure.
CALIFORNIA VOICES
Guest Commentary
Dolores Huerta’s legacy is the generations of labor activists she inspired from the frontlines
Dolores Huerta was an inspirational role model, a militant who named and shaped the world, writes a UC Berkeley professor reflecting on the labor icon’s legacy.
California can’t afford to keep Prop. 13 loopholes open when billions of dollars are on the line
Proposition 13 was sold as a way to save retirees’ homes from rising property taxes. It became a permanent discount for rich, corporate property owners.
AI and social media bans won’t make California kids safer online. It may even be harmful
Banning children’s access to digital technologies sounds protective, but the evidence so far mostly suggests it is not.
We want to hear from you!
Want to submit a guest commentary or reaction to an article we wrote? You can find our submission guidelines here. For questions, please email commentary@calmatters.org
DAN WALTERS
California’s campaign drama entices political junkies, but serious issues get short shrift
For those who just want effective governance that addresses the multitude of challenges California faces, the campaign season has been drearily disappointing.
ECONOMY AND TECHNOLOGY
Tech Spotlight
Why California backed off again from ambitious AI regulation
For the third year, the state delayed AI regulations for disclosing and appealing many automated decisions.
JUSTICE
Investigation
They were convicted of killing with their cars. No one told the DMV
A CalMatters investigation found that courts didnāt report hundreds of vehicular manslaughter convictions, prompting officials to belatedly take many driversā licenses.
EDUCATION
About College Beat
College Beat is produced by the CalMatters College Journalism Network, a collaboration between CalMatters and student journalists from across California. Read more.
