Special Report: California News Trust Report

Independent study of California news sources finds dozens of partisan websites posing as local newspapers, exploiting and undermining readers’ trust in local journalism

Following an analysis about partisan websites eroding trust in legitimate local publishers in Pennsylvania, NewsGuard reviewed the issue of trust and integrity for media coverage in and about California.

In the California News Trust Report, we examine the issue of trust and integrity for media coverage in and about California. The report utilizes trust ratings and reporting from NewsGuard, data about social media engagement from NewsWhip, and resources collated from NewsGuard, The Ward Creek Foundation and The Lenfest Institute, and other organizations.

The report found dozens of examples of Californian news sites that were designed to look and feel like local newspapers, but were actually partisan operations with undisclosed, politically motivated funding sources, serious conflicts of interest, and highly slanted coverage.

The California News Trust Report also provides resources for legitimate news publishers to use to increase reader trust and distinguish themselves more clearly from partisan sites masquerading as local news, such as examples of best-practice ownership disclosure pages, bylines, and corrections policies.

Click here to download the PDF, or browse through the report below.


– Release date: July 17, 2021