Rebuild Local News Expands Leadership Team to Meet Critical Moment

We are proud to announce some significant additions to the Rebuild Local News team. Former California State Senator Steven Glazer has joined as Senior Advisor and Matt Pearce, former president of the Media Guild of the West, has joined as Senior Policy Advisor.  

Sen. Glazer has been one of the most committed advocates for local news in the country. He created the $25 million California Local News Fellowship program at UC Berkeley and, as chair of the Senate Revenue Committee, authored SB1327 which would have provided $500 million annually to local news through employment tax credits. After a decade of impactful service in the legislature, we are proud that he has chosen to continue his advocacy with us. In addition to his work in California, Sen. Glazer will assist other states in advancing initiatives to bolster local news, ensuring that the movement for reform extends across the country.

Matt Pearce, until today was the President of the Media Guild of the West, where he worked closely with Rebuild Local News on California’s ambitious journalism funding bills. The Guild in general has been an important champion for local news policy – and we wholeheartedly agree that the focus should be on hiring journalists. Pearce’s leadership has been central to creating a future for local journalism that is not only more vibrant but also more resilient and robust.

We are also honored to welcome several esteemed individuals to our advisory board, including Bill McKenzie of the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library. McKenzie has eloquently written about the importance of local news from a conservative perspective, reinforcing our strong belief that strengthening local news must be a bipartisan and cross-ideological effort.

 Other important additions include:

• • Emily Bradbury is Executive Director of the Kansas Press Association. 
  • Judi Terzotis is CEO of Georges Media Group, Louisiana’s largest media organization.
  • Anna Draffin is the former CEO of the Public Interest Journalism Initiative in Australia.
  • S. Mitra Kalita is co-founder and CEO of URL Media and publisher of Epicenter-NYC. 
  • Sara M. Lomax is President/CEO of WURD Radio and co-founder of URL Media.
  • Scott C. Yates is founder of JournalList.net and a strategic consultant focused on complex problems in journalism.

Collectively, this talented and diverse group of experts sends a clear message: the movement to save local news must be inclusive and broad, uniting Republicans and Democrats, publishers and labor unions, rural and urban communities, as well as domestic and international voices. We must remain open to valuable ideas from all corners. There is a growing sense that we’re at a tipping point, and the opportunity to secure meaningful legislation for local news, especially at the state level, is within reach. 

We still have several key positions to fill, including policy director, development director, political director and head of research. We hope you’ll consider being part of this critical work.