Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation Works to Strengthen Local News

Local journalism plays an important role in keeping communities informed, and one Coachella Valley nonprofit is working to help ensure local news remains strong for years to come.

The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation was founded in 2020 by Julie Makinen, who was serving as editor of The Desert Sun at the time.

Makinen, who now serves as secretary-treasurer of the foundation, said the organization was initially created after the newspaper lost critical funding for its opinion section.

The foundation quickly raised money to help save the section, but its mission has since expanded.

“Since then, we've grown to be so much more, and we're supporting all the local newsrooms here in the Valley now,” Makinen said.

Makinen is also one of this year's finalists for Desert Fast Pitch, which takes place Oct. 1. The competition highlights nonprofit organizations throughout the Coachella Valley.

She said the competition has featured a strong group of nonprofit organizations and that she wishes every organization that participated could have made it to the final stage.

The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation is also expanding its programming with a film series at the Palm Springs Cultural Center focused on journalism and movies.

The series recently featured Citizen Kane, with the grandsons of the film's screenwriter participating in the event.

The next screening will feature The Insider, the 1999 Michael Mann film about the tobacco industry and investigative journalism.

The Oct. 11 screening will include special guest Lowell Bergman, the former 60 Minutes producer who was portrayed by Al Pacino in the film.

Makinen encouraged community members to attend the screening and learn more about the history and practice of journalism.

During the interview, Makinen also discussed the future of journalism as news organizations adapt to artificial intelligence and other rapidly changing technologies.

She said journalism has continually adapted to new forms of technology, pointing to the transitions brought by radio, television and the internet.

But she believes one element of journalism remains difficult for technology to replicate: the relationship between local journalists and the communities they cover.

“What can't be replicated by technology is the relationships between local reporters and the community,” Makinen said.

That connection, she said, is one reason she remains excited about the future of local news and the foundation's work to support it.

The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation continues to support local journalism initiatives throughout the region while developing programs designed to connect the community with the people and issues shaping the news.