FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — A fundraiser has been launched in order to help journalists recently laid off from newspapers in Fresno, Stockton and Modesto cover basic living expenses.
According to the fundraiser, at least a dozen San Joaquin Valley journalists have been laid off over the past two weeks from The Fresno Bee, The Modesto Bee and The Stockton Record. Some of those affected are members and officers of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Central California chapter.
The GoFundMe was organized by Emma Gallegos, an EdSource reporter in Bakersfield and SPJ Cencal board member.
These are journalists who attend public board meetings late into the night, give up their weekend or holiday plans when news breaks and cover violence, disaster and other traumatic events in a community,
Gallegos wrote on the fundraiser page.
The cuts came after reductions across the newspaper industry.
The Fresno Bee recently lost seven reporters and an editor as part of nationwide layoffs by parent company McClatchy Media.
The Modesto Bee also lost staff, while The Stockton Record was affected by layoffs at its parent company, USA Today Co.
Gallegos said the journalists affected have covered issues ranging from immigration enforcement, and workplace deaths to education, protests and local government.
Money raised will be divided evenly among the laid off journalists to help pay for rent, groceries, medical expenses and other costs of living.