Oakland stories, told by Oakland people

Oakland Voices trains and supports people who live, work, learn, play and pray in Oakland to report the stories that matter to their communities.

We believe Oakland residents should not only appear in the news. Townfolk they should help decide what becomes news, whose knowledge counts, and how their communities are represented.

Through our Community Journalism Academy, ongoing editorial coaching and publishing platform, residents learn to report accurate, ethical and engaging journalism. Our alumni and community contributors cover neighborhood concerns, public institutions, health, education, arts and culture, local democracy, community solutions and everyday life across the Town.

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What we do

Oakland Voices combines media literacy, journalism education, community reporting, and public-service news.

• Train: Our Community Journalism Academy introduces Oakland residents to reporting, interviewing, photography, multimedia storytelling, journalism ethics and editorial decision-making.
• Publish: We work with alumni and other community contributors to develop and publish reported stories, commentary, photography and multimedia journalism.
• Connect: We create opportunities for residents, journalists, and community organizations to connect, exchange information, identify overlooked stories, and strengthen Oakland’s local news ecosystem.
• Investigate: We pursue accountability reporting about institutions, systems, and decisions that affect Oakland residents.

Who tells our stories

Most Oakland Voices stories are produced by graduates of our Community Journalism Academy and other community contributors. They bring neighborhood knowledge, lived experience, and relationships that are often missing from or misrepresented in traditional news coverage.

We believe people closest to the story can and should tell the stories.

That proximity is a strength, but it also carries responsibility. Correspondents and contributors work with editors, follow established journalism ethics, and disclose relevant personal or organizational connections when necessary.

Meet our alumni and contributors
Learn about contributing to Oakland Voices

Our mission

Our mission is to equip Oakland residents with journalism skills, publish trustworthy community-rooted reporting and expand who has the power to tell Oakland’s stories.

We seek to:

• challenge incomplete and harmful narratives about Oakland communities;
• elevate the knowledge, experiences, and expertise of residents;
• produce useful, accurate, and accountable local journalism;
• develop new journalists and community storytellers; and
• strengthen civic participation and connections across Oakland.

Our history

Oakland Voices began in 2010 through a partnership between the Oakland Tribune newspaper and the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

Since then, multiple cohorts of Oakland residents have completed our journalism training and reported on their communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 60 alumni helped Oakland Voices document how the crisis affected residents across the city.

Today, Oakland Voices continues that legacy as a community newsroom and journalism education program.

[Learn about the Community Journalism Academy]

Our organizational home

Oakland Voices is currently a program of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, a nonprofit organization working to dismantle systemic racism in news and build institutions of belonging.

The Maynard Institute is a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its EIN is 94-2427279. The Institute’s Board of Directors provides fiduciary and legal oversight of Oakland Voices.

Oakland Voices makes its editorial decisions independently from donors, sponsors, and other revenue sources.

[Learn about our governance]
See our funders and editorial independence policy

Help strengthen community-rooted journalism

Choose the way you would like to participate:

• Stay informed: Subscribe to the Oakland Voices newsletter.
• Support the work: Make a tax-deductible donation.
• Work with us: Contact us about stories, training, or partnerships.