Oakland Voices

In 2010, the Oakland Tribune created Oakland Voices as a vehicle for community members to become multimedia storytellers, and to be new voices directly shaping the coverage of this region. Today, Oakland Voices is a project of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. Oakland Voices is a 9-month community journalism program that trains East Bay residents to tell the stories of their neighborhoods. Oakland Voices works in partnership with the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, the East Bay Times, and KALW San Francisco Public Radio 91.7FM. Funded by The California Endowment, Oakland Voices also partners with East Oakland Building Healthy Communities. Many of our correspondents join Oakland Voices because they want to reshape common misconceptions of their communities, portraying them instead as dynamic places where real people struggle, succeed, and thrive. Our correspondents learn journalism ethics and editorial decision-making, interview basics, and story craft. They use those tools to report on a wide range of issues highlighting the triumphs and challenges of life in Oakland, including community heroes and heroines, health and wealth disparities, and efforts to curb violence. Through programs like Oakland Voices, the Maynard Institute promotes diversity in the news media through improved coverage, hiring, business practices and training programs that equip journalists with leadership, multimedia skills and subject expertise for news organizations across platforms. Our primary mission is to ensure that all segments of our diverse society are fairly, accurately and credibly portrayed.