In celebration of Berkeleyside’s fifteenth anniversary, this episode of the noted Idea Makers series focuses on local journalism and the role it plays in our democracy.

Cityside CEO Lance Knobel and State Assemblymember Buffy Wicks discuss legislative efforts, partnerships, and policies that support local newsrooms, as well as potential funding models for the future. Then a panel consisting of Berkeleyside's Associate Editor and City Hall reporter Nico Savidge, former Executive Director of Outlier Media Candice Fortman, and San Francisco Chronicle Opinion Columnist Soleil Ho explore the current state of journalism and so much more.

Lance Knobel was a co-founder of Berkeleyside and worked as a journalist for nearly 40 years. Much of his career was in business journalism. He was Editor-in-Chief of both Management Today, the leading business magazine in Britain, and World Link, the magazine of the World Economic Forum.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks represents the East Bay in the California State Assembly, with a district spanning the communities of Oakland to Richmond, and includes the City of Berkeley.
Wicks was recently appointed Chair of the Appropriations Committee, after serving as Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee for two years prior. Her work focuses heavily on advancing solutions to solve California's housing and homelessness crisis, expanding our state’s social safety net, protecting kids in the digital world, and championing the rights of women and working families.

Nico Savidge is Berkeleyside's associate editor, and has covered city hall since 2021. He has reported on transportation, law enforcement, politics, education and college sports for the San Jose Mercury News, EdSource, the Wisconsin State Journal, The Janesville Gazette and The Daily Cardinal.

Candice Fortman is the former executive director of Outlier Media, a non-profit newsroom that centers and responds to the needs of Detroit residents. In her role at Outlier, she worked to ensure the organization made consistent and timely progress in achieving that mission while building a sustainable newsroom that challenges traditional models. Before joining Outlier, Fortman was the marketing and engagement manager at WDET 101.9, Detroit’s NPR station. She is the host of the podcast News Guest and sits on the board of Cityside.

Soleil Ho is an opinion columnist and cultural critic, focusing on gender, race, food policy and life in San Francisco. They were previously The Chronicle’s Restaurant Critic, spearheading Bay Area restaurant recommendations through the flagship Top Restaurants series. In 2022, they won a Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award from the James Beard Foundation.