Sacramento, CA (June 14, 2017) — Dan Walters, the influential newspaper columnist who for more than 40 years has chronicled the people and politics of California’s state Capitol, is bringing his decades of experience and institutional knowledge to CALmatters, a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters.
“I’m looking forward to reaching even more people with examples of how decisions made by folks in and around state government affect our daily lives,” Walters said. “I started reporting in Sacramento in 1975, and there are still a lot of good stories to tell.”
As Dan knows, California faces a number of challenges that will determine its future. His work at CALmatters will thematically explore these issues. In addition to this regular must-read commentary, Dan will travel throughout the state to explore its challenges in a new series of thoughtful articles that combine his fresh reporting and his deep understanding of California.
CALmatters will share Walters’ work with a network of more than 100 print, radio and online publications that it has developed since its launch as a nonprofit in 2015. Walters’ addition reflects an ongoing growth and expansion at CALmatters as it begins plans for increased content, more political coverage, innovative storytelling forms and audience engagement.
“CALmatters is here because quality, independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and new technologies are disrupting the media industry,” said David Lesher, editor and CEO of CALmatters. “Dan’s work is important and we are glad that we can continue to share it with audiences throughout California.”
Walters is the author of, or contributor to, four books about California and its politics. He is a sought-after speaker who shares data, anecdotes, humor and the long-view of our state at his engagements. And, Walters is respected by his colleagues for his unfailing commitment to mentoring younger reporters.
The new commentary by Dan Walters will complement the news coverage CALmatters has provided from its team of 12 based in Sacramento. Our experienced team of journalists provide coverage of major state issues in education, environment, healthcare, poverty, fiscal issues and politics. Their work is shared through in-depth explanatory projects, timely news stories, a weekly news analysis, radio appearances, original data research, a subscription newsletter, public events and innovative social media.
“Dan will be an important addition to our team as we add new voices, expand our team and our coverage, focus on growing revenue and deeply engage with more Californians,” said Publisher and COO Marcia Parker.
Readers can sign up for the CALmatters newsletter here. follow Dan’s work by visiting CALmatters’ website, CALmatters.org, as well as the nonprofit’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Dan’s new Twitter handle is @DanCALmatters.
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Launched in 2015, CALmatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. Environmental regulation, education, health care, criminal justice, economic inequality – the debates on these issues and others have a profound impact on the lives of 38 million Californians and beyond. Our team of experienced journalists, with the time and resources to dig deep, is committed to meaningfully informing Californians about the players, politics, and interests that shape the issues that affect their lives. To ensure we reach many Californians, we work with more than 100 media organizations throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences. CALmatters is based in Sacramento, CA.
Media outlets interested in carrying Dan Walters column or who want to become CALmatters media partners should contact Publisher Marcia Parker at marcia@calmatters.com.