What Cityside does

Cityside is a nonpartisan, nonprofit local journalism organization operating a network of four digital news platforms — Berkeleyside (est. 2009), The Oaklandside (est. 2020), Richmondside (est. 2024), and Nosh (food and drink vertical) — serving the East Bay region of California, with headquarters in Oakland. Its core technology is a standard digital publishing stack delivering content through websites, email newsletters, a podcast, and social media channels to a combined audience of more than 600,000 monthly readers, followers, and funders across Berkeley, Oakland, and Richmond. The organization is built on a community-listening methodology, emphasizing coverage of city hall, education, housing, public safety, arts, food, and accountability journalism for historically underserved communities.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack: individual donations and memberships (including one-time, recurring, stock, IRA QCD, and planned legacy gifts), corporate sponsorships (Channel Sponsor, Rotational Media, Sponsored Story tiers clearly separated from editorial content), foundation and institutional grants (American Journalism Project, Knight Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Google News Initiative, Facebook Journalism Project, among 15+ named funders), event revenue (managed by a dedicated Director of Events), and branded merchandise. All journalism is free to readers with no paywall; revenue is generated ex post through voluntary reader contributions, sponsorships, and grants rather than direct content payment. The organization employs 11-50 staff and is governed by an independent board of directors.

Name

Cityside

Legal name

Cityside Journalism Initiative

Website

https://citysidejournalism.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cityside is a nonpartisan, nonprofit local journalism organization operating four digital news platforms — Berkeleyside, The Oaklandside, Richmondside, and Nosh — serving more than 600,000 monthly readers across the East Bay of California, funded through reader donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Digital News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (51312), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Neighborhood Community Platforms (MPACAJAI), Podcast Hosting Platforms (RSS, Analytics, Distribution) (MPACADAA)

Keywords

• Local news publishing
• Nonprofit journalism
• Community journalism
• Digital news platforms
• Civic reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Membership: Cityside receives contributions from individual donors and members who support the organization's journalism. The organization offers various giving options including one-time donations, recurring contributions, stock donations, IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, and legacy planned gifts. Prior to nonprofit formation, Berkeleyside raised over $1 million through a Direct Public Offering from readers in 2016-2018.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Cityside accepts corporate sponsorships and underwriting from businesses and organizations. The organization offers sponsorship tiers including Channel Sponsor, Rotational Media, and Sponsored Story options. Sponsorships are clearly differentiated from editorial content. No sponsored content is produced by Cityside editorial employees.
3. Foundation and Grant Funding: Cityside receives significant funding from foundations and major institutional funders including American Journalism Project, Google News Initiative, Knight Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Facebook Journalism Project, and others. These funders support the general operations and growth of the nonprofit news network.
4. Events: Cityside generates revenue through events including sponsorship of community journalism events and programming. The organization employs a Director of Events to manage event-based revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cityside is a nonpartisan, nonprofit local journalism organization that publishes free, community-focused digital news and civic reporting for the East Bay (Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, California) through four distinct newsrooms: Berkeleyside, The Oaklandside, Richmondside, and Nosh (food and drink). The organization funds operations through reader donations, memberships, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, events and merchandise, rather than paywalls, and supplements distribution via email newsletters, social media and a weekly podcast.

Product overview

Cityside Journalism Initiative is a nonprofit, nonpartisan local news organization operating a multi-platform network of news sites serving the East Bay area of California. The organization operates four core news products: Berkeleyside (serving Berkeley since 2009), The Oaklandside (serving Oakland since 2020), Richmondside (serving Richmond since 2024), and Nosh (a food and drink vertical). The organization also offers supplementary services including sponsorship and advertising opportunities for businesses, newsletter subscriptions across all publications, community events, and branded merchandise. All core journalism is provided free to readers, funded through donations, memberships, sponsorships, and grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Berkeleyside: A pioneering independent digital news platform reporting on Berkeley.
• The Oaklandside
• Richmondside
• Nosh

Products and services

• Berkeleyside Berkeleyside is a pioneering independent digital news platform reporting on Berkeley, California. It is Cityside's first newsroom, founded in 2009, providing trustworthy, community-focused local journalism covering city hall, education, housing, public safety, arts and civic affairs. Content is free to all readers.
• The Oaklandside The Oaklandside is a local news platform serving Oakland, California, where residents stay informed, discover fresh perspectives, and connect with their city. Built on community listening principles, it covers civic affairs, accountability, housing, public safety and community life. Content is free to all readers.
• Richmondside Richmondside is Cityside's third local news outlet, providing independent, trustworthy news and information for the community of Richmond, California, filling a gap left by the disappearance of local daily newspapers. Content is free to all readers.
• Nosh Nosh is Cityside's award-winning specialty news vertical providing coverage of the East Bay's vibrant food and drink scene. It operates as a sub-brand of the Cityside network and has won SF Press Club awards in food and drink coverage.
• Oaklandside Weekly Podcast A weekly Oakland news podcast produced by The Oaklandside, expanding Cityside's local journalism into audio content for engaged East Bay audiences.
• Corporate Sponsorship and Advertising Corporate sponsorship and advertising services that connect businesses with engaged East Bay audiences through mobile, desktop, newsletter and digital marketing inventory. Sponsorship tiers include Channel Sponsor, Rotational Media and Sponsored Story packages. Editorial content is kept independent from sponsored content.
• Community Events Community events organized by Cityside to foster civic engagement and connect with readers, including candidate forums, cultural events and journalism-focused programming. Events are managed by a Director of Events and generate ancillary revenue through sponsorship and programming.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including T-shirts and related goods sold through Cityside's online store, offering supporters tangible ways to show their commitment to local journalism while generating supplementary revenue.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600,000 people engage with Cityside journalism monthly
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maynard InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-executive director Martin Reynolds serves on Cityside's board. Maynard Institute focuses on diversity in journalism and newsroom leadership development.
• Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCityside is a member of INN and follows its standards of editorial independence. INN provides the Game Changer award and other nonprofit news recognitions.
• The 19thminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Emily Ramshaw serves on the board of The 19th, a nonprofit news organization focused on women and politics.
• LION PublisherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Independent Online News Publishers association that awarded Cityside Publisher of the Year in 2020.
• Report for AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Cityside partners with Report for America for talent development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• LAist:

Direct peers

• The Mendocino Voice: California-based nonprofit local news outlet covering Mendocino County. Smaller-scale nonprofit local news peer operating in another California news desert with similar funding model.
• The Colorado Sun: Colorado-based nonprofit statewide digital news outlet founded in 2018 by former Denver Post staff. Directly comparable nonprofit model, donor-driven revenue, and award-winning journalism.
• Block Club Chicago: Nonprofit hyperlocal Chicago news network founded by former DNAinfo staff. Closely comparable model: multiple neighborhood-focused newsrooms, reader-funded, community-centered journalism. AJP portfolio peer.
• VTDigger: Vermont-based nonprofit digital news outlet widely regarded as a national model for nonprofit local journalism. Comparable funding mix (donations, foundation grants, sponsorships) and editorial depth.
• Mission Local: San Francisco-based nonprofit local news outlet covering the Mission District and broader SF. Similar nonprofit model, similar Bay Area geography, and similar reliance on reader donations and foundation grants.
• The Connecticut Mirror: Connecticut-based nonprofit digital news outlet focused on state and local coverage. Directly comparable nonprofit model, donor and grant funding, and award-winning editorial product.
• Lookout Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz-based nonprofit digital local news outlet with similar model: free journalism funded by memberships, sponsorships, and grants. Comparable audience scale and editorial mission to Cityside's newsrooms.

Emerging players

• CalMatters: California-focused nonprofit news outlet covering state policy. Shares funding sources (Knight, Google News Initiative) and a California-based nonprofit news mission, though statewide rather than hyperlocal.

Others

• American Journalism Project: Venture philanthropy fund and support organization for nonprofit local news. Major Cityside funder; ecosystem participant and peer-by-proxy for many similar nonprofit news startups.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/citysidelocal
• YouTubeoaklandside.org/510
• Facebookfacebook.com/citysidejournalism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citysidejournalism
• Instagraminstagram.com/citysidejournalism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cityside