Yousef Baig is the California Voices Editor for CalMatters, managing the nation’s first-ever opinion section at a state-level nonprofit newsroom. Its mission is to elevate writers on the ground floor of California’s most pressing issues.
He manages columnists, contributors and op-ed writers but also produces his own work. In recent years, Yousef’s most impactful reporting has focused on regional growth and sustainability in California, highlighted by widely acclaimed coverage of high-speed rail’s potential in the Central Valley and a monthslong investigation that helped sink a road-building Sacramento ballot measure pursued by powerful special interests.
Yousef was previously the Assistant Opinion Editor at The Sacramento Bee where he authored award-winning editorials and columns covering a mix of state and local issues. He spent the prior six years working for several Bay Area newspapers, in the news, features or sports sections at The Press Democrat, Petaluma Argus-Courier and Napa Valley Register, exploring California communities up close.
Yousef’s work has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, California News Publishers Association, Sacramento Press Club and others. He is a Poynter Institute fellow, Asian American Journalists Association member and studied journalism and sociology at the University of Georgia.
