Davis Media Access

We believe the shrinking of local newsrooms and corresponding loss of vital news and information affects every aspect of community life. When information is scarce or inequitable, civic engagement is diminished and our communities suffer. Davis Media Access is working to build a civic information project for Davis and beyond, and we’ve named this project Yolo Local.
                           —Statement of Purpose, Yolo Local, a project of Davis Media Access 

On Sept. 29, 2025, Davis Media Access (DMA) released its “Yolo County News & Information Ecosystem” report, which presents ideas for addressing the reduced availability of local information and news in Yolo County.  

The 70-page report follows months of research, conversations and contact with people throughout Yolo County to understand how the decline of traditional local media outlets affects both information providers and Yolo residents. DMA calls its effort to address this decline Yolo Local.

DMA worked with Impact Architects, nationally known consultants; jesikah maria ross of Davis, a community-engaged journalist, and the 11-member Yolo Local Working Group. The community engagement, which primarily ran from April to August 2025, included a bilingual survey, direct engagement at events, one-to-one interviews, and roundtable discussions. 

The report is rooted in Impact Architects’ framework and methodology for large-scale ecosystem reports, and includes key comparative data about Yolo County, such as race and ethnicity, income, and civic wellness data. It describes the community engagement approach and strategies that Yolo Local used, and includes a list of organizations and individuals involved.


Key findings in the report include: 

● The need for expanded Spanish-language and bilingual media: While 36 percent of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino/a and nearly 20 percent speak Spanish at home, no news sources are specifically dedicated to serving Hispanic and Latino/a communities in the county    


● The need for a backbone institution for the news and information sector: News outlets expressed interest in coordinating with other outlets, but lack a structure to do so. A backbone could act as an “assignment editor,” manage shared resources, and foster collaboration across platforms    


● The call to cover critical topics, inclusively: Residents want deeper reporting on local governance, agriculture (including farmworkers’ voices), education, and perspectives and experiences of immigrants and people of color, which are often missing or misrepresented

●  An opportunity exists to create a central resource hub to connect local residents with community, government and nonprofit resources and services. Models in other U.S. cities show that news outlets can connect communities to vital resources

Learn more and download the report at https://davismedia.org.

 
About Davis Media Access

Davis Media Access (DMA) has grown an organization, a community and much capacity since its humble beginnings in 1989 as a single public access channel known as Davis Community Television. Now in our 37th year, we’re taking a look at where we’ve been and seeking to grow a bold future and purpose as we move ahead. 

DMA is the media center, which is both a physical space, and a philosophical commitment to a mission and set of values. These are carried out via three main projects: DCTV, DJUSD, and KDRT.  

There is no other nonprofit like DMA in all of Yolo County.  We strengthen community by documenting meetings and important events, and through promoting dialogue and encouraging artistic expression, all while acting as a forum for issues that may otherwise be unaddressed. We’re proud to have been recognized locally and nationally for our efforts to amplify the work of other nonprofits, local government, schools, libraries, and the arts.

This year also marks the 21st anniversary of our community radio station KDRT’s launch. KDRT’s brand of people-powered, grassroots-fueled community radio has had an undeniable impact throughout Yolo County and far beyond that belies its Low-Power FM designation.

General information, as well as links to our annual reports, can be found on our website at davismedia.org