Dozens of journalists and student journalists attended FAC’s Inland Empire Watchdog Workshop, held at KVCR Public Media in San Bernardino. Photo: Daniel Eduardo Hernandez
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Journalists from across the Inland Empire packed a television studio in San Bernardino last week to learn about accessing public records, press rights and covering some of the most challenging topics in the news.
The daylong Inland Empire Watchdog Workshop was organized by the First Amendment Coalition and hosted by KVCR Public Media at its studio on the campus of San Bernardino Valley College. This is the third daylong training organized by FAC since 2024 and is part of our commitment to bring training and resources to journalists in underserved California communities. Previous workshops took place in the Central Valley and the Coachella Valley, complementing year-round virtual trainings and other journalist support.
We targeted the Inland Empire for a reason: The two-county region has more than 4 million residents who count on their local newsrooms to keep them informed. In a challenging climate where there are too few journalists and often too many newsgathering obstacles, the reporters doing this work need support and opportunities to gather and learn together.
More than three dozen journalists, students and professors representing outlets and schools across Riverside and San Bernardino counties spent the day honing their journalistic skills, learning about legal rights with the help of FAC Legal Director David Loy, connecting with each other and sharing tips and ideas.
We had a jam-packed agenda for the day that, in addition to delving into press rights and public records, included special sessions on covering immigration enforcement, public official misconduct and police shootings. We began the day with a 90-minute session that laid out the basics of public records reporting and California law before moving into guidance on the challenging work of pushing back when records requests are denied or delayed. Later, Loy and FAC Press Education Specialist Thadeus Greenson reviewed press rights for journalists, including when covering protests, wildfires and other natural disasters.
Greenson also led a fun and engaging lunchtime session aimed at brainstorming ideas for records-based stories – attendees quickly came up with 45 ideas that ranged from reviewing animal shelter audits to reviewing collision reports for police vehicles.
In addition to offering a wealth of information, the in-person training also gave journalists and students from across the region a chance to meet each other and talk about story ideas and challenges in the field.
If you’re interested in learning more about FAC’s workshops for journalists, check out our education page. And if this daylong training sounds like something you’d like to see in your own community, reach out to our education team at education[at]firstamendmentcoalition[dot]org.
