25 INSIDER IMPACT REPORT october 17-23, 2024 montereycountynow.com LocAL & InDePenDent houses of the future 14 | monterey bAy AquArIum At 40 16 | new LIfe for the DeAD cAssettes 39 the monterey county meDIA LIterAcy coALItIon Is fInDIng wAys to teAch us ALL how to thInk crItIcALLy. p. 22 By Sara Rubin Fact or Fiction? fIrst PLAce generAL exceLLence • 2024 cA JournALIsm AwArDs • Disinformation Impact Our cover story in October 2024 showcased the efforts of the new Monterey County Media Literacy Coalition (of which the Weekly is a member) and described the work being done in local high schools, at the state legislature and in higher education. The goal of the coalition is to put into effect the state law requiring media literacy to be taught in high schools so that students have skills to know what information is credible. In May of 2025, 115 participants showed up at a panel discussion on the topic in Carmel. As Mark Gomez of UC Santa Cruz said, “The things we are talking about here today could save this country’s democracy.” Romantic Impact For our Valentine’s Day cover story, we profiled Lisa Love—yes, that’s her real name—who met her husband via the personal ads in the Weekly in 1999. “I wanted a boyfriend,” Love says. “So I did a thing, I went crazy and put an ad in the Weekly.” Meanwhile, Dan Malone recalled, “I had been single for a year and I was tired of being single. I wanted to be in a relationship.” He didn’t drink, so bars weren’t really his scene—“I’m not much for social things,” he says—and he had already placed his own ad in the Weekly. “What the heck, I’ll take a swing at it,” he says. Except for a brief split they have been together ever since. MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT FARMWORKERS TEACHING FARMWORKERS 11 | METAL HEADS 29 | DISASTER MASTER 32 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2024 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • WITH FEDERAL SPENDING UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, HERE’S A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT CAME TO MONTEREY COUNTY LAST YEAR. P. 16 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION $14,746,633 HOUSING $65,295,512 MILITARY CONTRACTS $681,378,000 AGRICULTURE $11,386,441 HIGHER EDUCATION $76,749,022 K-12 EDUCATION $160,585,153 ROADS/SURFACE TRANSPORTATION $185,219,000 MST $16,500,000 MONTEREY REGIONAL AIRPORT $37,000,000 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT $18,400,000 PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK $4,079,000 PUBLIC HEALTH/ CLINICS $54,388,506 HOSPITALS $89,000,000 Your Federal Dollars at Work, Locally Big Picture Impact In March of this year, the editorial team took on the ambitious project of attempting to detail for the first time for the community just how much federal money comes to Monterey County and where it gets spent. The object was to illuminate a baseline for funds that were in jeopardy of being cut by the Trump administration. The team tallied at least $7.5 billion flowing to public health, hospitals, agricultural grants, infrastructure and transportation projects, higher ed institutions, scientific research, and public media, all detailed in the only comprehensive outline of the work by a range of local agencies and their employees that are being impacted. Deep Incremental Impact From the immediate on-theground coverage of the fires at the battery storage facility operated by Vistra Energy at Moss Landing last January through the update from the EPA in July, the Weekly’s reporters and editors have filed 27 separate stories (and counting) about the past, present and future of the industrial site. In March we published the most detailed examination of the permitting process that led to the development of the battery storage facility and the evolution of the battery technology at the site, the safety risks going forward and its importance as a part of a clean energy future for California. It is typical of our enterprise reporting that goes beyond the headlines. INSIDER.MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM IMPACT REPORT continued next page Welcome to Monterey County Weekly’s annual report to our Insiders. This is the select group of readers who have made direct financial contributions in support of the company’s journalism and as such have become stakeholders in our project. While typically we relay the details of what’s happening in the community to our readers, in this annual publication we turn our gaze inward and report out some of the impacts from the past 12 months that resulted from the investments the Insiders have made. From the first edition in September of 1988 to today, the mission of the news organization has been remarkably consistent. Journalism has been and remains at the core of the business. To produce and distribute engaging and informative local stories is still the fundamental enterprise that drives the company in 2025. In these pages are a few specific accounts of impacts across the full scope of Monterey County Weekly and Monterey County Now.
26 INSIDER 2025 CALIFORNIA JOURNALISM AWARDS JULY 3-9, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT CYCLE SCENE 8 | HOSPITALS BRACE FOR CUTS 10 | YOU’RE AN ALL STAR 32 | FLOAT ON 39 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • Our immigrant community forms the backbone of Monterey County and the country. These are some of their stories. p. 18 MAKING AMERICA GREAT Thoughtful Impact For our Independence Day edition in July of 2025, we profiled six Americans making an impact in Monterey County. Of the six, one was born in Vietnam, one in Mexico, one in India and three were born in California. All described their own immigrant experience or that of their ancestors, a reminder that everyone came from somewhere and serving as local personification of a major news story gripping our country in 2025. Workforce Impact In May 2025, we reported on the Monterey County Preschool Service Corps, which trains and pays up to 20 local people to serve in preschools, providing extra language and literacy support for 64 students in 10 classrooms—and helping train needed early childhood educators. That funding was eliminated by the federal government. After our story appeared a local couple wrote in to say they were moved by the reporting to write a check to jumpstart a campaign to keep the program operating. Funding for the 2025-26 school year has been secured, and new corps members were sworn in on Oct. 14. First Place, General Excellence First Place, Investigative reporting First Place, Front page layout First Place, Best Calendar First Place, Health reporting First Place, Transportation reporting First Place, Food Writing 1st Monterey County Weekly editorial department (from left to right, standing): Sloan Campi, Pam Marino, David Schmalz, Agata Pope¸da, Celia Jiménez, Katie Rodriguez, Erik Chalhoub, (seated): Dave Faries, Sara Rubin and Daniel Dreifuss. Second Place, Public Service Journalism Second Place, Best Column Second Place, Photo essay Second Place, Business reporting Second Place, Enterprise reporting Third Place, Best Newsletter Third Place, Special section FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2024 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS •
27 A LARGE AND IMPACTFUL AUDIENCE The impact of the company goes beyond the news pages. In 2009 we founded Monterey County Gives! (along with our partners), a year-end philanthropic effort where we invite the nonprofit community to relate their Big Ideas to our readers and ask them to donate to their cause. Last year’s campaign raised a whopping $14.2 million for 206 local nonprofits in six weeks. This year, we launch on Nov. 13. A special project of: Monterey County Weekly & Monterey County Now Community Foundation for Monterey County and Monterey Peninsula Foundation With major support from Taylor Farms • Neumeier Poma Investment Counsel • Colburn and Alana Jones Foundation of the CFMC • David & Lucile Packard Foundation • Cannery Row Company • Harden Foundation • Nancy Eccles and Homer M. Hayward Family Foundation • Post Ranch Inn • MST • Cort Companies • Montage Health Foundation COMMUNITY IMPACT $14,278,798 TOTAL RAISED IN 2024 7,982 TOTAL NUMBER OF DONORS OVER $82 MILLION RAISED SINCE 2009 (Campaign totals for 2024) 41.6% AVERAGE OPEN RATE 31,643 SUBSCRIBERS 50% GREATER THAN THE INDUSTRY AVERAGE 81,719 AVERAGE MONTHLY UNIQUE VISITORS 50% access via mobile phone WITHOUT A PAYWALL SINCE 1996 58,872 READERS PER WEEK 20,323 AVERAGE NET CIRCULATION 2.7 readers per copy Source: CVC audit 3/31/22 LARGEST PRINT AUDIENCE IN THE MARKET january 16-22, 2025 montereycountynow.com LocaL & InDePenDent cheese anD beer (anD a LIquor LIcense) 10 | coLor scheme 26 | secret sPIcy sauce 34 FIrst PLace GeneraL exceLLence • 2024 ca journaLIsm awarDs • As Donald Trump is sworn in for another term as president, local elected officials plan their strategy. p. 16 by David schmalz Resistance 2.0 SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT MAKE YOUR OWN CLASS 8 | END OF AN INSTITUTE 17 | CUP COMES AROUND 32 | GO CAMBODIAN 38 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • JOBY IS SCALING UP ITS MARINA FACILITY AND HITTING MILESTONES WITH ITS FUTURE AIR TAXIS. WILL IT BE COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL? p. 20 By Erik Chalhoub SUPER FLY AUGUST 7-13, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT COPS CRACK DOWN ON CAR WEEK 8 | SAVE THE MONARCHS 13 | STOP AND SMELL THE COFFEE 36 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • Monterey County’s immigrant community adapts to life under a constant threat. p. 18 By Celia Jiménez WITH BATED BREATH PRINT NEWSLETTER 351,332 AVERAGE MONTHLY PAGE VIEWS WEBSITE december 12-18, 2024 montereycountynow.com LocAL & IndePendent condors soAr bAck 12 | beAch boys hIts 40 | LocAL musIc LIneuP 42 | the yeAr In restAurAnts 52 FIrst PLAce GenerAL exceLLence • 2024 cA JournALIsm AwArds • orGAnIcALLy Grown LocAL shoPPInG GuIde Budget Friendly p. 30 Even as Big Ag has gotten into organic farming, total acreage remains surprisingly small. p. 24 by katie rodriguez november 21-27, 2024 montereycountynow.com LocAL & InDePenDent PAcIfIc grove’s PArkLet future 12 | 10,000 mAnIAcs on tour 36 | the LAst trAveL Agent 42 fIrst PLAce generAL exceLLence • 2024 cA JournALIsm AwArDs • mst’s embattled surf! project has been approved, but will it— and should it—ever get built? p. 20 by David schmalz tIcket to rIDe MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM Source: Google Analytics GA4 10/24-10/25 MAGAZINES Living Well 2025-2026 BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® BILINGUAL GUIDE AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE GUIDE GUÍA DE RECURSOS SOBRE ENVEJECIMIENTO Y DISCAPACIDAD Published by AREA AGENCY ON AGING FREE | GRATIS cover_LW25.indd 2 5/15/25 12:58 PM Published by BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® Eat+Drink 2025-2026 | FREE cover_E+D_25.indd 1 4/24/25 12:05 PM Published by BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® Haven HOME & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE 2025-2026 FREE FINE LOCAL WINE DECORATING WITH ANTIQUES SEASONAL SPA TREATMENTS GOING BOUTIQUE AUTOMATING THE HOME cover_HAVEN_25.indd 3 7/24/25 11:51 AM Published by FREE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® Wedding GUIDE 2025-2026 cover_WG25.indd 1 2/27/25 3:03 PM Published by BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® Visitors GUIDE FREE 2025-2026 MAP • RECREATION • ARTS • EVENTS • GOLF DRINKS • BEACHES • RESTAURANTS cover_vg25.indd 1 6/16/25 12:23 PM 195,000 COPIES BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® SPECIAL TOPIC MAGAZINES PRINTED PER YEAR Source: Mailchimp campaign report 10/24-10/25 INSIDER
28 THE NEW MODEL TO FUND JOURNALISM INSIDER INSIDER JOIN US NOW Go online at insider.montereycountynow.com Or by mail: 668 Williams Ave., Seaside, CA 93955 Your contribution level: $500 $150 $50 $20 $15 $10 Other $_______ Contribution schedule: Monthly Annual One-time Name_________________________________________________________________________ Address_ ______________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip__________________________________________________________________ Email_ __________________________________ Phone________________________________ May we include your name in public acknowledgments? Yes How would you like your name to appear___________________________________________ No, I would prefer to be anonymous Payment: Credit card number_ ____________________________________________________________ Expiration date __________________________CVV code_ _____________________________ Name/Billing address (if different from above) ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ For more info: linda@montereycountynow.com (831) 394-5656 101625 The Impact You Can Make While we at the Weekly have become more skilled in our reporting and storytelling over the past 37 years, and while the technology we utilize has become ever more sophisticated to generate and distribute the news, the economic underpinnings of the journalism business have gone through radical transformation. No conversation today about local journalism doesn’t include a lot of bad news. Nationally and locally, news gathering operations have been decimated, either because businesses don’t want to make the investments, or in the case of public radio and TV that the federal government has clawed back money. The sad truth is that in the first six months of 2024, over 79 percent of U.S. digital advertising spending went to just three companies: Meta (which includes Facebook and Instagram), Alphabet (including Google and YouTube) and TikTok. We are lucky and we’re good, but that deck is stacked. We deliver good journalism week in and week out; our advertising base, while diminished, remains solid and we live in a place that backs up its values with generosity. We operate on the notion that if we produce trustworthy writing, we will attract an interested and dedicated audience. In turn, we have then gone to business owners in the community and suggested that they run ads in our pages and on our digital platforms to invite that audience to come do business with them. It was and is an elegant transactional relationship. You will find many of the most successful local businesses advertising in our pages and on our platforms. Without them we wouldn’t be here. The next time you find yourself patronizing an advertiser please tell them you saw their ad in our pages. We’ve also done something new and have been heartened by the results. In the current media landscape, direct financial support from readers is a vital part of a sustainable business model. It too is elegant; it’s a connected relationship where the people who value local and independent journalism help underwrite the costs. And we are happy to report that this new model is working. Since 2020, over 4,300 of your friends and neighbors have made a direct financial contribution to fund our work, joining a select group we call Weekly Insiders. If you are not yet one of them, this is our request for you to take action. If you are already an Insider, or an advertiser, allow us to thank you again. Your support helps us deliver great journalism. Today the Weekly and Monterey County Now have the largest newsroom of any outlet in Monterey County. We have more staff in our editorial department than at any time in our history. We have expanded our distribution channels via newsletters, enhanced our technology, broadened our coverage area and still never missed a deadline. Unlike other media companies we have invested in local journalism. Weekly Insiders have helped make that happen. Will you join them and make a contribution today? —Erik Cushman, Publisher 4,323 TOTAL NUMBER OF INSIDERS 250 GOAL FOR NEW INSIDERS IN OCTOBER $161/year AVERAGE CONTRIBUTION LEVEL THE AVERAGE CONTRIBUTION LEVEL IS UP 40% INSIDERS Source: LGL constituent report 10/25
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