Sonoma Media Investments, LLC

The Press Democrat Journalism Trust is looking for aspiring writing students enrolled or recently transferred from Santa Rosa Junior College to apply to the Gaye LeBaron Writing Scholarship! Applications are open now through Thursday, October 31st. The Trust will award a $5,000 scholarship to the most qualified student, which can be used for books, tuition, and living expenses while enrolled. Past recipients who qualify are encouraged to reapply. ­­ To apply for The Gaye LeBaron Writing Scholarship, students must complete the online form and submit writing samples. Letters of recommendation are encouraged, but not required. To see eligibility requirements or apply, visit https://lnkd.in/g7XN7X6B

Join us for an exclusive screening of two-time Academy Award nominee Rick Goldsmith's compelling documentary, Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink. Tickets: https://lnkd.in/eVd8WbJf Sunday, October 20 | 1:00 pm Napa Valley College | Studio Theater Filmmaker: Rick Goldsmith Presented by: The Press Democrat & @NorCal-PublicMedia

It's not about the awards. It's about coverage of violence in our schools; it's about providing aid to fire victims; it's about the decimation of poultry; it's about the pain of war 50 years later. It's about representing our communities and amplifying your stories and voices. It's not about the awards, but it is about our commitment to local, community journalism for California's North Bay. Congratulations to the entire team at The Press Democrat and Sonoma Media Investments, LLC Help us spread the news at https://lnkd.in/gs5PXm9h

This one has been in the works for a while, and I am thrilled to finally get to announce it officially: The Press Democrat Journalism Trust is proud to partner with Benovia Winery in presenting 'Good Press,' a 2022 Russian River Pinot Noir, with proceeds from every bottle helping to fund independent, local journalism in the North Bay. Thanks to the generosity of the owners, for every $49 bottle purchased, $60 will be donated to the PDJT. This is a limited run, so order yours today! More about the project: https://lnkd.in/ecBgGYja Buy it here: https://lnkd.in/eXNzbsfk

Congratulations to our Employee of the 2nd Quarter, Emily Chambers! "On any given day, Emily Chambers, Sonoma Media Investment’s Employee of the Quarter, might go from processing payments in our finance department to helping with personnel matters in Human Resources, from organizing events for our new employees to producing grant funding requests for the Press Democrat Journalism Trust. In the two and a half years she has been with our company, Emily has continually and consistently proven her ability to learn, adapt and welcome new opportunities and challenges with enthusiasm and excitement. Most notably, Emily has been a key player in the efforts to launch and expand the success of The Press Democrat Journalism Trust. In less than a year, she has helped to organize a restructured Board of Directors, plan and prepare meeting materials as well as help develop public-facing marketing campaigns. Emily has also taken the initiative to learn best-practices for grant writing, resulting in additional funding support for local community journalism. Emily is a key part of our company’s success and we are proud to name her as our Employee of the Quarter".

Introducing the 2022 Good Press Pinot Noir, an exclusive collaboration between Benovia Winery and The Press Democrat Journalism Trust. For every bottle sold, $60 goes toward funding sustainable local journalism in Sonoma and Napa counties- and the North Bay. Get your bottle, six-pack or case now and make a difference, one sip at a time. For more information on how to purchase, read our recent Press Release: https://pdne.ws/good-press

Please join us in congratulating our Chief Operations Officer, Troy Niday, for this well-deserved recognition!

Excited to welcome Tarini Mehta to The Press Democrat newsroom later this fall as part of the California Local News Fellowship. Tarini, who is a Master's graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, is originally from India and has particular interest in reporting on governance and public health. We look forward to her joining our team and continuing to advance the critical role of local, community journalism in California's North Bay.

We are excited to share that SMI publications have been announced as finalists for 88 California Journalism Awards from the California News Publishers Association! The Press Democrat alone is in the running for 53 awards, including in the coveted general excellence and public service categories, as well as breaking news, investigative reporting, writing, photojournalism, profile, column, feature and editorial writing, design, special section and so much more. Our very own Sonoma County Gazette has been recognized for the first time ever as a finalist for several awards, including General Excellence, Immigration reporting, profile story, and inside page layout. Great work to Amie Windsor and team! We are incredibly proud of the work our publications have done across various departments to be considered for these awards. We eagerly await the winners to be announced on July 13th!

Last week my leadership team and I pushed our personal boundaries and got way outside of our comfort zones. Thanks to the Santa Rosa Fire Department and the SANTA ROSA FIRE FIGHTERS FOUNDATION (and a live auction bidding war with Guy Fieri), we cut open cars, steered a ladder truck and - fully decked out in turnouts, masks and helmets - sat in a 400 degree burning room and watched a fire grow. It was a humbling and inspiring experience, and I am incredibly proud of my team for how they took on the challenges of the day. Looking at you Emily Paulsen DeBacker, PHR, Troy Niday, Chris Fusco Karleen Arnink-Pate, Annika Granholm Toernqvist, Vern Zander, John D'Anna, Matt Kehoe and Brandelle McIntosh (and you too, Jennielynn Holmes).