The Buzz 12.11.25

FREE SPEECH

The California Press Foundation hosted the 148th annual California Journalism Symposium on Thursday, Dec. 4 at the Monterey Plaza Hotel in Monterey, bringing together professional journalists, student journalists and others for a day of conversation about the state of the industry and how to build up the next generation of reporters. “Sometimes it feels like I spent the first 10 years of my career getting really sourced up on the basket weaving beat,” said the keynote speaker, Ben Mullin, who covers media for the New York Times. “As more and more newsrooms drop away, the more precious the ones we have remaining are.” (Mullin was once a recipient of what he described as a “life-changing” internship grant from Cal Press.) Panel discussions included topics such as how to use artificial intelligence ethically and appropriately for newsgathering and analysis, news literacy and journalism education. The Journalism Education Collaborative aims to connect student journalists through a directory of more than 1,000 school media outlets.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I won’t be scared into not sharing what’s really going on in our city.” - Salinas City Councilmember Andrew Sandoval in a social media video, speaking about the postponed censure vote against him (see story, montereycountynow.com/newsletter)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Good news for Salinas residents who are struggling to pay for rent. The Salinas City Council on Dec. 2 unanimously approved a $1 million pilot rental assistance program to assist families with up to three months of rent or $9,000. The city also set aside $250,000 for Monterey County Office of Education to aid families with school-aged kids. “It is an eviction prevention initiative,” Kayshla Lopez, Salinas’ homeless services manager, told the council. “It is a cross collaboration with the Monterey County Office of Education aimed at strengthening homelessness prevention efforts within our community.” The rental assistance program is funded with the general fund and family homelessness challenge grant funds from California Department of Housing and Community Development. The program will run until June 2026, or once funds are exhausted. It could aid up to 111 families.

GREAT:

Providing easy access to overdose-prevention tools is critical to saving lives, and Soledad has taken a step toward that goal. The County of Monterey Health Department and City of Soledad celebrated the installation of a kiosk that contains naloxone and fentanyl test trips on Monday, Dec. 8. The kiosk is stocked with about 250 doses of naloxone and 250 sets of fentanyl test strips. Naloxone, known as Narcan, counteracts the effects of an opioid overdose within minutes, while fentanyl test strips give people the ability to test drugs for the presence of fentanyl. The kiosk, the first of its kind in South Monterey County, is located next to the Soledad Fire Station at 525 Monterey St., between the old jail and new fire apparatus bay. Earlier this year, more kiosks were installed at transit centers in Marina and Salinas, as well as the jail and a clinic in Salinas.