People’s Press is an online nonprofit news publication and directed discussion forum dedicated to the effective application of the First Amendment, proudly founded by journalists for journalists in rural Imperial Valley, California. We aim to nurture and produce hyperlocal, heart-centered citizen journalism by investing in the homegrown voices that enrich our community through positivity, integrity, and authenticity. Designed with the goal of hosting intersectional and inherently controversial perspectives, our brand of fearless and respectful commentary dares to tread beyond the bipartisan as we lead the charge in a concerted effort to bridge the gap between everyday people and civil servants alike.

Accessible;

provide a refreshingly accessible platform;

Bridging the communication gap

Featuring:

community portraits, local stories, moderated members only community message board, journalist hosting service job (training), art and culture, small business and economics, health and wellness, education, politics, social commentary, diverse ideas, kids, teens, and elderly, religious commentary, global and local event commentary, agriculture, eateries and reviews.

Non-profit

Citizen journalism

Although we have long been known as the second most impoverished region in the state, we believe the soil here is fertile and the season is now favorable for a new generation of homegrown voices to rise up and take the reins as we lead our community towards a new frontier.

Sarina Guerra discusses beyond the bipartisan – what media has been, & where it’s going:

Having written for local news media outlets on both sides of the aisle—& at least one that tried its best to walk the line—I can tell you firsthand that limiting your journalistic perspective is a surefire way to misrepresent the truth. Spend enough time interviewing subjects, & you’ll find that deifying identity politics always leads to dead-ends, just about every controversial figure is still a regular person, & what you read in print is almost never the full story. We’d like to think we represent the face behind the name, not the man behind the curtain. How does that saying go? “United we stand, divided we fall…”

Sarina also speaks on her upbringing and, ultimately, what our responsibility looks like now:

Growing up the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I often heard stories from my parents, grandparents, tias & tios of their experiences with extreme poverty & unthinkable hardship in the not-so-distant past. As a child, I was always keenly aware of the privileges that came with US citizenship as well as the economic good fortune I had been born into just before the turn of the century. But as we look ahead into the new world, it is no longer an option to proceed the same as we have. So whether you call it the Last Days or Late-Stage Capitalism, the message is clear: you & I are going to have to roll up our sleeves & rebuild these bridges—come hell or high water.

nurturing homegrown voices

We are raising up the next generation of storytellers; writers, orators, & advocates, as well as planting seeds for & nurturing budding local talent

At People’s Press, we believe that every voice has value—not just the most palatable or polished ones. Our nonprofit publication is proud to be invested in raising up the next generation of native storytellers, writers, orators, & advocates born & raised right here where you were. No one knows the land like the people who work it, & that’s why we want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth. Here on our 100% organically-grown platform, you’re bound to find folks that echo your own wants & needs because at the end of the day we all came up from the very same soil.

a new way forward

We strive to speak to the state of the world, leaving old ways behind. We are reassembling the rubble & “working rain or shine to keep this community afloat’. We’re all on this ship together.

We aim to nurture hyperlocal, cross-cultural, & heart-centered storytelling by investing in homegrown voices that deepen social ties through positivity, integrity, & authenticity.

At People’s Press, every voice has value—not just the polished ones. We proudly invest in the next generation of native storytellers, born & raised right here. No one knows the land like those who work it, & that’s why we want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

🖥️Core Programs & Services

Our core programs will & currently include:

📰Citizen Journalism Training: In order to combat the county’s massive talent leak, we will provide workshops & mentorships programs to train local residents—especially youth, those whose require physical & learning accommodations, bilingual speakers, & underrepresented voices—in basic reporting, interviewing, fact-checking, & multimedia storytelling.

🗞️Editorial Publication: We publish original articles & community stories on our online platform. We prioritize stories that uplift community voices, challenge dominant narratives, & spotlight both struggles & solutions. Too often, the story mainstream media tells is flat, detached, or oversimplified, but our readers have come to know our team always goes the extra mile—no matter the cost.

🗨️Public Forums & Dialogues: We will host moderated, respectful public forums where residents can engage in open dialogue on civic, social, & political issues affecting the Imperial Valley in a style & setting that feels familiar & approachable to the demographic we serve.

🎙️Civic Literacy & Engagement: We partner with local organizations to distribute accessible information regarding city infrastructure updates, free assistance programs, county legal disputes, & more. Our latest project was a website regarding a major lawsuit about a proposed hyper-scale data center, which was funded out of pocket by our team in the interest of transparency & broad cooperation. In the future, we will maintain a comprehensive event calendar, host town hall meet-ups, & more.

🧒Youth Media Program: We will offer media literacy & storytelling programs designed for high school & college students, fostering a new generation of local journalists & creative communicators. We have given presentations for career day in the past & are working with staff at the community college level to create space to host their regular newsletter.

Together, these programs empower the people of the Imperial Valley to tell their own stories, hold power to account, & foster a culture of integrity, connection, & community awareness.

What do you want to do next, neighbor?

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