The Abridged version:
- Abridged, a Sacramento-owned nonprofit newsroom powered by PBS KVIE, launches Sept. 16.
- Despite the loss of federal funding, PBS KVIE has invested significant resources into providing local news through Abridged.
- Newsletters and content on Abridged will be free.
A friend of mine once described the Sacramento region as a place where promise and peril collide.
It’s true: we have so much to celebrate. Our world-renowned food scene and natural treasures. Our vibrant economy and our standing as the seat of power of the nation’s most populous state. From West Sacramento to Lincoln and from Elk Grove to Folsom, communities throughout this region are redefining their identities. It’s a remarkable time to call this place home.
But we’re also facing significant challenges. Sacramento is still more affordable than most other places in the West, yet fewer than one-third of families in this region can afford the median-priced home. Our roads and freeways are more clogged – and dangerous – than ever. There aren’t enough schools in some communities to keep up with the population growth. Entire communities, and the families who live there, are being left behind.
That’s why we’re launching Abridged, powered by PBS KVIE.
The Sacramento region is at a crossroads and without a strong, locally owned news organization committed to serving the Sacramento region, our community will lose the stories and information it needs to thrive.
The traditional media landscape is loud, polarizing and reactive. It’s built for speed, not substance, and it prioritizes clicks over clarity and profits over service. At the same time, cutbacks and shifting priorities in local media have left entire communities and issues uncovered.
Abridged is the refreshing antidote: honest, human storytelling that empowers. Bridges instead of divides. Inspires instead of exhausts.
What Sacramento wants from its news
The launch is the result of more than a year of work. PBS KVIE, like other public media organizations, is facing severe challenges brought on by shifting audience habits and a loss of federal funding. But instead of cutting back and abandoning a region that has supported us for years, we’re doubling down. Thanks to the vision and generous support of our Founding Supporters, members and Board of Directors, PBS KVIE has invested significant resources into this next chapter.
Before we launched Abridged, however, we needed to hear from you. Earlier this year, PBS KVIE partnered with an expert market research firm to conduct a regionwide survey assessing how local media was serving residents, what issues were being ignored and how our audience wanted to consume news and information. We followed that up with a series of focus groups, small gatherings and dozens of one-on-one listening sessions.
What we discovered was that residents believe local media covers emergency updates, crime and weather well. With that in mind, it made sense that the top local media outlets in terms of audience usage and awareness were all commercial television stations, organizations that dedicate significant resources to those topics.
The research, focus groups and listening sessions also revealed what topics residents are most interested in but believe aren’t covered well. We built a newsroom to fill the gaps and serve you with the information you asked for.
Our research and conversations also taught us what you value most in news and information sources. Readers engage with sources that are unbiased, trustworthy and are connected to their community. Those are the core values of PBS KVIE, which has served this community for six decades. PBS also consistently ranks as the most trusted news and information network in the nation.
We also found that a significant number of readers believe news should be free to access. That’s what we’ll do at Abridged: provide news and information that is free for all without a paywall.
Stories on our website will be free, as will three newsletters we’re debuting this week: a morning newsletter that will highlight the day’s top stories and arrive in inboxes Monday through Friday; City of Treats, focusing on the Sacramento region’s vibrant Food & Drink scene; and Cultural Capital, a must-read newsletter telling you which events, festivals, concerts and other activities you should be checking out each week. We may add more newsletters in the months ahead.
While signing up for our newsletter and reading stories on abridged.org will be free, producing quality, nonpartisan journalism comes with a cost. That’s why we’ll rely on members who donate, sponsorships, philanthropy and major donors to provide the exceptional journalism you can expect from Abridged. If you believe in our mission – to produce public service journalism that helps you live your best life and helps our region thrive – please consider becoming an Abridged member with a donation.
Rooted in Sacramento
We’ve built a newsroom dedicated to putting service over profit, elevating voices other outlets ignore, and delivering for a region that has always delivered for us. Abridged will bring you local news and information, along with the people, places, food, arts, and events that make our community unique.
We’ll cover the most important issues from communities in Sacramento, Yolo, Placer and El Dorado counties. With the community’s support, we’ll focus on additional counties in the future.
We’ll apply much-needed accountability to local governments and expose the decisions that are making life in the Sacramento region less affordable. Abridged will also provide you with advice and resources for finding health, wellness and joy, whether you’re a young adult or forging a new path in retirement. Our coverage of public education will give parents the tools they need to make informed decisions about their children’s future, and we have a reporter dedicated to elevating stories from Yolo County, a vibrant, diverse county often overlooked by other media.
Abridged represents a new era for Sacramento journalism. We recognize that our future is tied directly to this region’s future. That doesn’t mean we’ll always serve as a cheerleader; standing up for this region often means calling out decisions that aren’t being made in your interest.
We tell stories that define what it means to call this place home. No opinions. No noise. Just public service journalism that informs and connects. And in the process, we’ll build a new model for journalism to inspire a return to local news that readers can trust.
Welcome home. Welcome to Abridged.
Ryan Lillis is Associate General Manager, News, at PBS KVIE