Mission

ANF is dedicated to the promotion and support of independent journalism to support the core principles of the alternative press: Speaking truth to power, telling stories other publications won’t, and giving voice to those who would otherwise go unheard.
ANF also serves as a fiscal sponsor to independent entities that build local news and information infrastructure to serve their communities.

The Big Idea

Salinas is the largest city between San Jose and Bakersfield with 160,000 residents, 79 percent of whom identify as Latino or Hispanic according to the 2020 census. It is the county seat, the center of a $4.6 billion agriculture industry, the original home of John Steinbeck, but its longtime daily newspaper, The Californian, doesn't even have one local reporter on staff. Despite the lack of coverage, the stories from Salinas and the Salinas Valley are vital and deserve to be told. They are a snapshot the most compelling issues facing California in 2024 and warrant more coverage, not less.

Research shows that in the absence of good local journalism, civic engagement deteriorates, corruption, government spending and fraud flourish, voter participation declines and trust in local leaders is undermined by misinformation. These negative impacts are exacerbated in majority minority communities.
We have a solution - Salinas Valley Now.

Sometimes reading your journalism pisses me off, some days it makes me laugh out loud, but I always come away knowing more. Keep it up.

- Pat Wilkins