Fall 2025 Online Elsewhere Report
Online Elsewhere
Fall 2025 Report
By Richard Cameron
California community college online student publications had a busy semester as national chaos came from a blitzkrieg of federal changes to education in the country. Fifty-two online publications had the second most prolific Fall semester since this project began in Spring 2020. Despite some strong posting months, the 52 publications ended just behind Fall 2024 for the lead spot. There were 3,956 stories this fall (Aug. 1 through Dec. 31), compared to the 4,120 published a year earlier, a 3.5 percent decrease.
Along with the standard fare of campus event stories, sports stories, movie and other entertainment reviews, there were stories about the fallout of the murder of a ardent conservative spokesman, sweeping DEI repudiations and budget cuts by the federal government, devasting immigration raids by ICE, and unmet basic food and other needs caused by a government shutdown that halted SNAP benefits for college students and other low-income people in the country. There were “No Kings” protests both on and off campus to cover, concern about the creep of artificial intelligence into education, concerns about tightening free speech rights, and Know Your Rights workshops to counter immigration crackdown fears. There were also a new Taylor Swift album and a new Wizard of Oz movie to review… and Bad Bunny was named to headline he upcoming Super Bowl halftime show!
Also noted were more first-person feature stories, a lax attitude for naming sources in stories (unnamed sources, first-name only sources, etc.), more introduction of the reporter into the story (“I interviewed…”), and Q&A style stories.
This was the fifth fall semester covered by this project, which began in Spring 2020.
All of California’s community college online student publications were monitored daily using RSS feeds. Stories were categorized by genre —news, opinion, sports, and features— and by localization —campus, community, or neither. Not measured, unless included in individual posts, were social media reporting and print publications. Print versions of publications and use of social media continue to have varying degrees of importance in student publication brands, but this study focuses just on the web version of the publication.
Previous semester reports can be found at:
• Spring 2020 - bit.ly/3ZpEgAD
• Spring 2021 - (no report available)
• Fall 2021 - (no report available)
• Spring 2022 - bit.ly/3W3utgP
• Fall 2022 - bit.ly/fall22x
• Spring 2023 - bit.ly/44SgJdx
• Fall 2023 - bit.ly/4ePR0It
• Spring 2024 - https://bit.ly/3VYo9Kc
• Fall 2024 - https://bit.ly/3ChM68H
• Spring 2025 – http://bit.ly/46uUEpu
In addition to the now standard reports summarizing this fall’s publication performances and comparisons and publication-by-publication summaries, this report includes special reports of in-story links and use of sources in all stories for the semester. And, in a nod to changing times, artificial intelligence was used to help generate portions of the publication summaries.
Periodic summaries throughout the semester identified major styles of stories found in student publications. To this list I now include the heavy use of Question-and-Answer (Q&A) presentation of stories:
Creative Writing - Stories where information often is manufactured. A lot of the concern over AI is that it can creatively make up details to fill in logic gaps. You don't see a lot of creative writing as news stories, but elements of creative writing show up in some stories. I see it most, perhaps, in opinion stories, especially reviews.
First-person features - Stories that often are labeled as opinion stories by student publications and mostly consist of the reporter sharing an experience from a personal view. Other sources occasionally are included, but only in a minor way. (BTW, as I classify stories I don't automatically consider "first person" as opinion, though that certainly is what I was taught; oftentimes I classify them as features.)
Q&A features – These are stories where the reporter asks a question and the source or sources respond. Little original writing takes place, only editing for clarity and length. Stories often resemble a transcript of a conversation. This style was used a lot in the waning days of the semester. Note: The best use of this technique included at least an introductory paragraph setting up the topic and introducing the sources, something all transcript presentations should include.
Summarization - Stories that are manufactured by summarizing information from a variety of existing sources, though sources often are not acknowledged, much less identified. Not a lot of boots-on-the-ground reporting takes place.
Basic Reporting - Stories that are created by talking to sources and summarizing what the reporter has learned. Usually, sources should be named and identified and personal opinion by the reporter should be excluded, though there is a shift in some mainstream media in this practice. (A small handful of publications seem to be establishing a pattern of using only first names of student sources, oftentimes without an obvious reason.) This category includes mostly event-based reporting and represents the largest group of stories in student publications. There are multiple levels of expertise in this stage.
Enterprise reporting - Stories that are more complex and often involve issues rather than events. Sources are important and some publications look beyond their campus silos to add meaning and context. Much investigative journalism will fall into a higher level of this stage.
• • •
Periodic summaries also emphasized the importance of treating your online publication as a legitimate publication in its own right, even if much of the content repeats what would be in your print publication (if one still exists) or social media. Ways this can happen include:
- · Timely and regular publication of stories, as opposed to story dumps,
- · Pre-post attention to visual presentation,
- · Multiple-photo presentation in widgets, as opposed to print layout norms,
- · Reader notification when a story has been altered since original publication,
- · Sparse use or elimination of roundup stories (except in calendars),
- · Multimedia and multimedia elements to tell or enhance stories, and
- · Live in-story links.
These numbers reflect state averages and can be used to measure your performance.
Terms and Definitions
As with any research project of this size it is important to define terms used to make categorizations. Only minor tweaks from previous semesters were made in these definitions.
Posts
Any post was considered for inclusion unless it was an obvious duplicate post or was an obvious test post. No other distinction was made. A post might include a story, photographs, and multimedia; or it may include just a brief or a photo. One school even posted individual images/PDFs of print edition pages for portfolio reasons. If a post was later updated, it was treated as a duplicate post. If it was later deleted no adjustment was made, as deletions could be made any time, even months later.
Dates
When posts are made originally, RSS feeds usually date-stamp the posts, even if it occasionally takes a couple of days for it to appear in feeds. If posts were later updated some systems add a second date or time stamp; again, these were treated as duplicates. Some schools routinely posted stories that clearly had been created, or at least started, weeks earlier and retained the creation date on posts; but since posts were monitored daily, they were recorded as actually being posted on the dates they showed up in the RSS feed. Posting dates and times are available with most, but not all RSS feeds.
Late Posts
In most WordPress platforms a story contains a dateline that indicates when it was created, regardless of when it was posted. (Likewise, when stories are updated there often is an updated date added to the meta data.) Most stories are posted within a day of creation. But others don’t show up for days (or weeks), indicating that the publication held on to the story for some time. Posts were recorded for the day they showed up in RSS feeds, but if those dates were three or more days after the creation date they were tagged as “late” posts. An occasional late post is normal, but some publications make a practice of it.
Times
Along with date stamps are time stamps. Times were recorded and categorized in one of four six-hour blocks of time:
• Wee hours (midnight to 5:59 a.m.),
• Morning (6:00 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.),
• Afternoon (noon to 5:59 p.m.), and
• Evening (6:00 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.)
Two publications (Chaffey and Orange Coast) do not support standard RSS and did not include time stamps; while dates for posts could be determined, time-of-day could not. These posts were not included in reporting posting times but were included in other counts.
Story Type/Genre
All stories were categorized as one of four types: News, Opinion, Sports, or Feature.
Sports was the first bias in determining story type; sports news, feature and opinion stories were categorized as “sports.” Next was News, then Opinion v. Feature.
Many reporters consider only profiles as features, but not for this study. For instance, a story about a club activity would be considered a news story, but if the story primarily focused on the purpose of an already existing club, it was considered a news feature. First-person features sometimes contain minor opinion and are often classified as opinion stories by publications; for this story most were considered features.
The most subjective decisions were with reviews: Was the overall tone more opinion or merely feature? Lists of favorite movies/music/foods/holiday traditions, while obviously opinions, were counted as features; and, as the only sources for those features were the authors, they were counted as “neither” localization unless they had another direct tie-in to campus or community.
Localization
And finally, stories were categorized by one of three localizations: Campus based, community based, or neither/general.
Campus based was the first bias. If the story happened on campus or at another district campus, it was campus based. If it included a campus source as a key source of campus information, it was campus based. Even national stories that contained local sources or details were determined to be campus based if the story attempted to reflect campus information. Merely mentioning the school, most often in leads, was not enough to be categorized as campus based. Some statewide stories that clearly affected a local campus universally, for instance California Community College Chancellor news conferences for student reporters, were also considered campus based.
Community-based was the second bias. Often this was subjective. Communities in immediate service area of campus were included, but at times a story in a regional metropolis a few miles down the road might be considered community based, depending on relevance to the campus community; other times they were categorized as neither. The question was in determining how far "community" extended.
"Neither" or “general” was the catch-all for remaining stories. Non-campus reviews most commonly were considered as "neither."
Stories about professional, semi-professional and NCAA-level sports also were categorized as “neither,” even if the team was located in the college’s service area, unless it was primarily a community issue story. “Community” sports tended to be stories about local high school sports.
Tags
Subject tags were added to some stories to better highlight story content. They were not included on all stories or topics.
There were no pre-determined tags, though some became obvious, such as identifying different sports or which media were reviewed or to identify topical trends. Other tags were created to help identify important story content for well-rounded publications; for example, "campus governance" for stories about various senates, boards, foundations, unions, and administrations (except for when administrators were used simply as sources).
Adjusted Weeks/Publication Window
While most colleges started their fall semesters in mid to late August, not all do, and programs start actual publication at different times, regardless of when the term started. Some publications posted stories before the school term started while others took several weeks to get started. Most publications wrapped up the semester in early December, but some went until the end of the month. And some schools continued to publish during holiday/summer breaks, others did not. There were a total of 23 possible publishing weeks between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31 (fall semester) and 24 weeks between Jan. 1 and June 15 (spring semester).
To create a standard method for determining weekly averages an “adjusted week/publication window” metric was used. The first week for any publication was measured as the first in which two or more posts were made between Monday and Sunday. Likewise, the last week of the semester for a publication was the one that contained two or more posts. No adjustments were made for holiday periods. If a publication had additional one-off posts outside its adjusted week window the posts were counted toward the total, but the weeks were not adjusted further.
Campus Governance
One of the roles of any publication is to serve as a watchdog for its community, so note was taken of campus governance stories, such as those that cover student, faculty and classified senates, board of trustees, administration policy, and other college governance groups/committees, including unions, and college foundations. They might be news, feature, or opinion (and, in rare cases, sports) stories.
Multimedia
Four types of multimedia stories were tracked:
1. Stories with or consisting of audio,
2. Stories with or consisting of video,
3. Stories with or consisting of photo galleries in a widget, and
4. Stories with or consisting of animation or interactive tools.
Also included were a shrinking number of animated issuu.com or yumpa.com postings (considered “other”). Once common platforms for storing PDF documents, such as copies of print issues, many student publications have moved away from issuu.com after new pricing policies made them difficult to afford. Also tracked were stories with three or more photos that could have, or perhaps should have, been presented in gallery form; they were not considered as multimedia, though.
For some publications, using a gallery with three or more photos might mean a smarter presentation, but not always. Also noted where multimedia “stories” of all sorts where ONLY the multimedia portion was included or only a short paragraph was added: gallery only, audio segment only, video only, audio introduced with a single paragraph, video with only a single paragraph, gallery with a single paragraph, etc. The strangest, perhaps, were the collections of three or more photos without any explanation beyond a headline.
Posting Patterns
Separate posting calendars were kept for each publication to show how many posts were made on which days. The reports that followed highlighted excessive gaps —defined as six or more days— and excessive post days —defined as six or more posts on a single day. Only gaps within the publication window were counted.
A posting percentage was calculated for each publication by multiplying the number of adjusted weeks by seven days and then dividing the actual number of posting days by the result.
posting days /adjusted weeks x 7 days = posting percentage
More efforts in periodic reports and this report convert that percentage to a more relatable days-per-week figure.
Weekly Average
The weekly story average was determined by dividing the total number of posts/stories by the number of adjusted weeks. The state average was an anemic 5.5 stories per week.
Disclaimer
No determination on quality of stories or publications was made, as this was not a goal of the study. Raw numbers included in this report are included for illustrative purposes. Publications should look at the numbers and determine whether they meet staff-determined goals.
Most numbers are expressed in terms of percentage of the whole, though raw numbers are included to indicate how percentages were determined. When raw numbers or ranks are highlighted in this study they are not meant to imply "better" or "worse," but are used solely for comparison’s sake.
It should be noted, too, that when percentage-of-the-whole numbers are used a high rank in one category, by definition, it means a corresponding lower rank in another similar category: staffs need to establish their own goals.
Posts are harvested from RSS feeds only, unless a site does not support standard RSS. Harvesting from the website itself is more time consuming and it is too easy to miss a new post. Posts that are added to static pages do not show up in RSS feeds.
Fall 2025 summaries
More than 65 current and past online publications were monitored on a daily basis throughout the term, though only 52 publications produced content this semester. At least one print program still does not have a current web publication, and several others have been dark for some time. Moorpark discontinued its online publication and production course this fall.
Others that have been discontinued over the years are still followed and occasionally show up with a story, though the source of the story can be suspect. At least one community college publication disappeared and later showed up as a western United States magazine with irregular periodic posts. Another, for a while, seemed to be a nudist camp feature magazine. And then there are publications like Chabot, which had just one story this fall that may have been created by a non-staff member.[1]
The strongest sites will be the ones that integrate students into the production process… and approving final posting of a story IS part of the production process. While most publications seem to be set up this way, clearly there are some where a single person, most likely a college employee (the adviser or a classified/hourly person), is responsible for posting stories.[2] Students should be involved in creating or moving content inside the publication platform, editing those stories, and approving final posting. Involving students in the process also facilitates timely and regular posting of stories online. Most publishing platforms allow for levels of control, assuring that the greenest staff member does not have authority to authorize final publishing.
While staffs that produce a lot of stories will focus on who had the most stories this semester there are more important metrics that are possible for every staff, regardless of size or experience, to control. For instance, how often a publication posts stories is important in building an online audience. Staffs should aim for posting stories multiple days a week, even it is just one story each time. Gaps of six or more days between posts should be avoided.
One publication, for instance, posted an average of five-plus days out of seven possible every week during its publication windows.[3] El Camino dominated in posting regularly. On the other extreme two publications that had more than one post for the semester —East LA and Grossmont— posted an average of less than once a week. The statewide average was 2.7 days.
Five-plus days – El Camino
Four-plus days – Long Beach, DeAnza, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara Orange Coast, Los Medanos, Palomar, Butte, Fresno, and Riverside
Three-plus days – San Diego City, Fullerton, Skyline, Mt. San Antonio, Sequoias, Sierra, San Joaquin Delta, American River, Santa Rosa, Cosumnes River, and Laney
Two-plus days – Cerritos, Santa Ana, Citrus, Canyons, Las Positas, Cabrillo, Saddleback, Sacramento, Bakersfield, Chaffey, Cuesta, Cypress, and Mt. San Jacinto
One-plus days – Diablo Valley, Solano, Pierce, San Diego Mesa, Southwestern, LA Valley, Pasadena, Desert, Contra Costa, San Jose, San Francisco, Foothill, Rio Hondo, and Glendale
Less than one day – East LA and Grossmont
Gaps of six or more days should be avoided, though it was common for fall publications to have a break of a week, say at Thanksgiving; in the spring semester some publications shutdown during Spring Breaks while others don’t. The gaps that are more important are the ones that indicate the online publication is taking a back seat to a print publication schedule. Most egregious are the gaps that are followed by high-post days. High-post, or excessive-post, days are those with six or more stories the same day. An occasional high-post day is not necessarily bad, but a publication that had multiple gaps followed by high-post days on a regular basis indicated that the online publication was not being treated as a publication in its own right.
One publication this semester, for instance, had 12 high-post days (averaging 10.2 stories each time) and 10 gaps (averaging 8.1 days). Another with 12 high-post days (also with 10.2 stories each time), had nine gaps (averaging 12.0 stories). One of those publications had one of the highest total stories for the semester and the other was closer to the state average.
Eight qualifying publications —DeAnza, El Camino, Fullerton, Long Beach, Palomar, Riverside, Santa Ana, and Sierra—had no gaps. Thirteen publications had just one gap.
Another area that all staffs can control is timeliness of posts once they have been created. RSS readers note when stories were created. Since stories for this project are monitored on a daily basis, it is possible to track how long a story sits in an editing process (at least once it is entered into the online platform). One or two days is reasonable, but stories that are posted three or more days after they were created were considered late posts. Six publications had late posts this semester. Pierce and San Francisco, in particular, had a lot of them. In Pierce’s case, nearly three-quarters of its posts were late; nearly a quarter San Francisco’s were late. Next most were from Las Positas, Long Beach and San Diego Mesa.
A policy of timely posts can lead to better frequency of posts, just a better frequency can lead to an overall increase in the number of stories. While frequency is not as sexy as the total number of stories, it is easy to increase the total each week by a story or two with timely posts and higher frequency; for most publications that would result in 15-30 more stories for the semester.
Post leaders
The most stories posted this semester were by Cerritos with 187 stories.[4]
But high frequency and high posts do not always go hand in hand. No. 6 Pasadena, for instance, had one a modest-to-low posting frequency, but one of the highest totals for the semester; it just did it with a lot of high-post days as it moved content from the print realm to the online site. The same was true for No. 10 East LA.
Posts ranged from Chabot’s one to Cerritos’ 187. Sixteen publications had 100 or more. The statewide average was 76.5.
Weekly average leaders
Long Beach had the highest average of stories each week with 11.6. El Camino and Cerritos also had double-digit weekly averages, though the statewide average was just 5.4, or about a story more per week than when this project first reported figures in 2020.
Days of the week
Between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31 there were 153 possible days for publications to post stories. There were posts on 140 of those days (91.5 percent). Wednesdays continued to be the most popular days to post with just more than a quarter (26.1 percent) of all posts on Wednesdays, but the two most-post days of the semester were on Thursday, Oct. 15, and Thursday, Nov. 19, with 98 each. Wednesday, Oct. 17, saw 80 posts.
There was an average of 29.5 posts on any given day throughout the semester.
Pew Research Center studies[5] indicate that most readers visit news websites in the morning or late at night, but most college publications tend to post stories when publications courses are scheduled or in the afternoon.
“Post times” recorded are really “creation times” of the posts. (Because posts are monitored daily actual post days were actual post days.) All times were noted except for two publications (Chaffey and Orange Coast)[6] that don’t support standard RSS. Times were grouped into four time periods: Wee hours (midnight through 5:59 a.m.), mornings (6 a.m. through 11:59 a.m.), afternoons (noon through 5:59 p.m.), and evenings (6:00 p.m. through 11:59 p.m.).
 |
Four and a half out of 10 posts (46.1 percent) were created/posted in the afternoon and just about a quarter each were posted in the mornings (23.3 percent) and evenings (23.6 percent). Interestingly, Grossmont, which posts infrequently, had the highest percentage of posts created/posted in the wee hours of the night with more than a third of its posts (38.8 percent). Skyline saw 25.0 percent of its posts, Los Positas 17.4 percent, Long Beach 13.5, and Sierra 10.0 percent.
Localization
Nearly two-thirds of all stories (67.5 percent) were campus related or campus localized. To count as campus localized it took more than merely mentioning the campus. But regional, state, national and international topics could be localized with campus information or sources being relevant to the story.
Glendale led in campus focus with 95.8 percent of its stories being campus focused.
All but nine publications put 50.0 percent or more of their focus on campus-localized stories.
The extreme opposite of campus-localized stories were those stories that were neither campus focused nor community focused. Many of these stories are music/movie/tv/books, video game and other reviews, but not all. Also prevalent were editorials and columns. Pasadena, for instance, focused on Trump Administration policies considerably more than others in its editorials. Three publications devoted 50 percent or more of their stories to non-campus/non-community issues. These included Chabot (100 percent) with its one-story output, Desert (56.4 percent), and Butte (53.2 percent).
Two publications — Canyons (56.3 percent) and Sierra (50.0 percent)— focused on community issues more than anything else.
Genre
Fewer than half of all stories, regardless of localization (43.2 percent), were news stories. Some subjectivity was employed in categorizing stories as news vs. features. Stories that did not focus on a specific event or something new were considered features. For instance, if a campus club held an event, it was news; if it focused on the continuing mission of the club, it was a feature story. Sometimes the lines blurred.
Cypress led all publications with 80.6 percent of its stories being news stories. Two publications – Chabot and Sierra—had no news stories, instead focusing more on feature stories (100 percent each). Grossmont saw 57.1 percent of its stories as feature stories.
Feature stories made up the next largest genre group with 19.9 percent of all stories classified as features. As with the blur between news and feature stories, there was also a blur between opinion stories and feature stories. Nearly all first-person feature stories, for instance were classified as feature stories rather than the opinion status conferred by campus publications. Some “reviews” were classified as features if opinion was hard to find. Too many reviews are really feature recaps with one paragraph of opinion tacked on the bottom of the story.[7]
Sports accounted for the third largest group (16.8 percent) and included all sports-related news, features, and opinions. Nearly nine in 10 sports (87.7 percent) stories were campus related. Community-focused sports, which mostly consisted of high school sports coverage, accounted for 1.9 percent and just 1.0 percent were non-campus/non-community sports.
Orange Coast was the leader in percent of its publication being devoted to campus sports, with just over a third (34.8 percent) of its stores being campus sports. Las Positas (33.7 percent), San Diego Mesa (33.3 percent) and Santa Ana (30.7 percent) were right behind. Orange Coast also led in raw numbers of campus sports stories with 46.
All professional or semi-professional sports stories were counted as “neither,” even if the sport team was based in the community or college service area, unless there was a specific community or campus angle to the story.
Men’s football (n.142) was covered the most, followed by women’s volleyball (n.125), men’s soccer (n.120), and women’s soccer (n.111). Men’s sports coverage (n.381, 52.7 percent) out-paced women’s sports (n.342, 47.3 percent). Only stories that emphasized gender participation were included in these numbers and some stories, such as roundup stories were counted multiple times, once for each sport. While cheer squads can include both genders, they were counted as a women’s sport for this presentation. Notably missing from previous reports was the gender-neutral esports category; there were no esports stories.
Reviews probably make up the bulk of opinion stories, which is the smallest genre group. Only 9.2 percent of all stories were opinion stories, and just 2.2 percent were campus-related opinion stories.
Approximately three in 10 opinion stories were movie/music/tv/video game/etc. reviews with movie reviews (n.92) dominating the list. The latest “Wicked” movie was perhaps the most reviewed movie, just a Taylor Swift reviews dominated music reviews. Few reviews included opinion in the lead.
Specialty campus content: Opinion/governance
Two classes of campus content were closely monitored as all are vital to a healthy campus publication. Campus opinion and campus governance receive scant attention from most publications while being largely under-represented in others.Fifteen publications, or about a third, had NO campus opinion stories at all. Campus opinion included non-sports editorials, columns, roving reporter features, and letters. (Some of Santa Barbara’s “Editor’s Choice” stories were counted the same as first-person features.)
American River, Pierce, and Palomar led in the raw numbers of campus opinion stories with 14 each. Three other publications had double-digit campus opinion stories.
Campus opinion articles require a good understanding of campus issues, something more publications should consider.
The other specialty woefully under-represented was coverage of campus governance, an area where publications can/should be a campus watchdog. The following figures include news, opinion and feature stories. To be considered, the story had to cover a core function of the governmental body, not just a mere mention. For instance, student government sponsoring a campus event, such as a Halloween costume contest, would not be counted.
Few societal institutions are laced with as many shared governance groups —from the college’s board of trustees, to its student/faculty/classified senates, to its various committees— as colleges and universities, so it is even more concerning that a third of publications ignored campus governance completely. Just 4.7 percent of all stories involved campus governance.
Five categories of campus governance were monitored: boards of trustees, student governments (including inter-club councils), faculty senates, administration, and other shared government committees (including unions, classified senates, foundation boards, and curriculum and other committees).
Palomar was the campus-opinion leader in raw numbers of stories with 32, mostly board of trustee stories. Four other publications had double-digit campus governance stories. No. 2 Santa Barbara was the only publication to have stories in each of the five categories.
Leaders in each category included:
Trustees – Palomar (20)
Student government – Santa Barbara (10)
Faculty senate – Santa Barbara (5)
Administration – Palomar (4)
Other shared governance – Palomar (8)
Multimedia
One of the major advantages of a web publication over print is the ability to tell or enhance stories using multimedia. There are four major categories of multimedia: audio, video, photo galleries (in a widget), and other miscellaneous forms that range from issuu/yumpa/flipbook animated presentations of the print product to simple-to-complex interactive/animated graphics. While hundreds, if not thousands, of interactive graphic tools exist –many with free options for light users—few publications explore use of them. Possibly the most-used non-issuu/yumpa/flipbook tool used is an interactive story map tool used by El Camino’s multimedia reporting class.
Fourteen publications, or about a third, ran no multimedia stories this semester.
Galleries
Photo arrays/galleries presented in widget form are the gateway for most publications to use multimedia, though some publications continue to present multiple photos in print-style layout on their story pages. The dividing line is that when you get to three or more photos you should consider presenting them in widget form. Photo galleries in widget form are the most common multimedia used by publications, accounting for nearly six in 10 (57.2 percent) of all multimedia stories. Santa Monica, in particular, led the way with photo galleries, running them in 77 stories, or about two-thirds of its stories (67/2 percent). Orange Coast was the runner-up in use of photo galleries, employing them in 63 of its stories, or about half of all stories (47.7 percent). Thirty-one (59.6 percent of publications ran at least one photo gallery.
The average number of photos per gallery was 6.1. Long Beach, in one of its rare uses of galleries, had one with 35 photos. The smallest galleries had just two photos; there were 18 such galleries.
Also tracked were stories that presented three or more photos outside of a gallery widget, in other words, in a print-style layout. Use of three photos is when staffs should consider using a widget presentation, though there are times when the print layout is more effective. A total of 452 stories, or more than one 10, had three or more photos, ranging from three (the most common) to 62 (El Camino) and 64 (Long Beach).
Long Beach had the story with the most photos presented in a non-widget format with 45 photos stacked on top of each other in a long scroll. Mt. San Antonio had two stories with 23 stacked photos.
Video
Video, whether staff created or embedded from other sites, was the second most popular multimedia format. Here Canyons was the clear leader, with videos a part of 84 of its 87 stories. In fact, Canyons’ stories mostly follow the same format, with varying levels of skill, of a one- to two-minute video with a text story that is essentially a story-style adaptation of a video transcript with traditional attributions identifying sources of direct quotations. One Canyons video was a live stream of a campus Prop. 50 redistricting forum. San Diego was second in use of video with 28 and DeAnzaright behind with 26. Twenty-three publications, or about two in five (44.2 percent), ran at least one story with a video.
Many video stories (except from Canyons) were presented alone, without a text story. Some included a paragraph or show notes, but the least effective presentations ran them with no explanation of content beyond a headline. Cerritos, San Diego, and DeAnza attempt the most to include transcripts with video. Cerritos is attempting to include transcripts as the story, which is not working well, its stories at least need an introductory paragraph. Canyons’ approach works best, followed by San Diego’s standalone story with video attached, and DeAnza’s and Santa Rosa’s show-notes approach.
The most popular storage platform for videos is YouTube, as other common platforms, such as Viemo or Instagram, were seldom used.
Video lengths ranged from just four seconds to San Diego City’s one hour, 47 minutes, nine seconds broadcast of a women’s basketball game. The statewide average length for videos was 12 minutes, 28 seconds.
Audio
Audio stories barely beat out miscellaneous forms of multimedia. Audio appeared 13 stories, a mere 5.1 percent of all publications. Palomar was the heaviest use of audio/audio-enhanced stories with 11.
Most podcasts were presented with little or no explanation for the reader. Cerritos is attempting to include transcripts as the story, but as noted above should consider at least an explanatory lead before getting to the actual transcript. It also had a problem near the end of the semester when it uploaded multiple transcripts without attaching the audio link.
Spotify and YouTube have emerged as the leading storage platforms for audio, Spotify mostly because of favorite playlists of commercial music (one story included links to 20 songs). SoundCloud, another major player in the audio platform market, was rarely used this semester.
Audio presentations lasted an average of 14 minutes, 34 seconds. The longest was a Palomar interview on the evolution of music lasting 41 minutes, 49 seconds. The shortest audio presentation was the third audio file in a Sierra story that lasted just seven seconds.
Santa Monica, with its focus on photo galleries and a generous use of videos, was the multimedia leader with 100 stories containing or consisting of multimedia. Canyons, with its slavish devotion to video-enhanced stories, was second with 84. Orange Coast was third with 66.
It would be good to see some of the non-multimedia users attempt use in the spring, even if it is just with photo galleries. Adding photo a gallery widget —and there are a myriad of possibilities, here are some—[8] is relatively easy to install and will encourage reporters to develop visual communication skills.
In-story links
In-story links are another way to distinguish your online publication from its print relative. Links give the readers added value if they want more context. A lack of linking is a sign that the online publication is not playing a unique role in your brand.
Linking to other online media sources is the most obvious start to in-story linking. Anytime you refer to another media source or to a website it should be linked. But our writing is often peppered with suggestions that there is a definitive source of information you are summarizing, even if the exact source is not pointed out to the reader. Here is your chance to point it out. Adding live links can be a quick process or a thoughtful process.
This semester I noted the number of live links in every story, including the rare times live links are included in photo captions. I only included links that obviously were manually added for context, not links that automatically created by the online platform, such as bylines.
Just 35.1 percent of stories contained in-story links, though observation indicated that about two-thirds of stories could/probably should have had them. Reporters should be trained to think about links as they write. And this is another reason to include all staff members in the production of the online publication. If they write their stories and then editors or advisers/lab aides are responsible for posting content to the site (as opposed to final authorization), then the role of link master for all stories is foisted on those people.
The number of links per story varied from just one (the most common) to as many as 38 (from Sierra: Careless Campers). But the statewide average was 3.8 links for stories that had them. San Diego City had the highest percentage of stories with links as 95.2 percent of the publication’s stories had links. Other high-link percentage publications included Laney(91.9 percent), Sierra (90.0 percent), Santa Barbara (85.3 percent) and El Camino (79.5 percent). Only Cabrillo and Chabot —both low-story publications—had no links in any of their stories, though three publications had just one.
News stories were the stories most likely to have in-story links. Nearly two out of five stories that had links were news stories. But it is opinion stories, especially editorials and columns, that are likely to have the most links. Opinion stories with links average 5.0 links per story. Sports followed with 4.8 links per story that had them.
A missed opportunity for most publications to have in-story links are reviews. Nearly every movie/album/television show/video game/etc. has an official website that can be linked, but few publications include links to them. Sports stories with in-story links often link to athletic sites that maintain basic web pages for each athlete. And, of course, in campus stories that use college staff as sources can link to the individual’s web page in many cases. Opinion story links most often are to other media sites being used as sources.
Campus-based stories are most likely to include in-story links because of the extensive web page structure of college web sites that include individual pages for campus staff, especially administrators and faculty. That, and the fact that there are so many more campus-based stories than other localizations. More than a third of stories with links were campus-based.
Non-campus- and non-community-based stories, classified as “neither,” edged out community-based stories for second place with just 8.7 percent of link stories. These stories are likely to have slightly more links (n.4.6) than other localizations with most of those links being media links.
Sources
Reporting is the process of gathering facts from a variety of sources and synthesizing it so that it can be shared and understood by others. So, all stories were monitored for use of sources —primary or secondary. Whether text, audio, video, or other, all stories were scrutinized for how many sources were attributed and what kinds of sources were used. Sources were counted only the first time they were used in a story and were catalogued into five categories:
Administration – These included all top administrators and board of trustees members, except for the student trustee. Some deans and directors were considered top administrations, but others were considered college staff.
Staff members – These included all employees except top administrators and student workers (when identified as such). These included teachers, secretaries and other people under the employ of the college.
Students – These included all current students. Use of alumni as sources were counted when determining whether a story was campus related, but not as current students; instead they were counted as non-campus.
Non-campus – These included all other sources the reporter likely talked to or quoted from a meeting and included vendors regularly working on campus. The category also included sources who had tentative/temporary ties to the campus, such as a guest speaker, a food vendor, or a job fair vendor. When it was unclear whether an attributed source worked for the college, it was counted as a non-campus source.
Media – These included quoting from studies and other media, including other stories from the publication itself. The category also included campus-wide emails from sources that otherwise would have been in one of the other categories. When a source clearly responded to the publication by email it was counted in the other appropriate category.
Student sources made up the largest group of sources, accounting for more than a third (35.8 percent). The next largest group was staff sources, which made up nearly a quarter (24.6) of all sources. Non-campus sources were third (19.0 percent), followed by media (16.9 percent). Administration accounted for a mere 3.6 percent.
Stories with sources averaged 2.8 sources each, but publication averages ranged from Sierra’s 5.4 to Butte’s 1.5.
In addition to looking at sources by publication, it was possible to count sources by genre and location.
It is no surprise that news stories were more likely to have sources and that college staff and college students make up the largest groups to be sources, as these are sources more accessible and are involved in or impacted by stories in a student publication. News stories, regardless of localization, were twice as likely to contain sources than other genres. Sports stories were likely to have sources slightly more than feature stories (15.8 percent to 15.4 percent). Some campus sports stories had no sources (common in some publications) community-based sports stories (though few) and semi-professional/professional sports stories rarely had attributed sources. Many first-person feature stories had no attributed sources. Fueled by reviews and non-campus opinion stories, opinion stories were least likely to have attributed sources.
Clear patterns of source use emerged from sports stories. One coach/multiple athletes, one or more coaches/no athletes, and no coaches/multiple athletes were the three patterns most prevalent. Few stories included coaches and athletes from other teams.
For reference on how a publication compared to other publications, use the following measures:
Percent of stories with sources
Top third - 85.0 percent or higher
Middle third – 70.0 percent or higher
Bottom third – 69.9 percent or less
Average sources per story (includes only stories with sources)
Top third – 3.1 or more sources
Middle third – 2.6 or more sources
Bottom third – 2.5 or fewer sources
Here is a summary of each publication’s use of sources:
American River – The Current had sources in nearly four of five stories (middle third) and averaged 2.7 sources per story (top third). Students were the most likely sources, followed closely by media sources.
Bakersfield – The Rip had sources in three of five stories (middle third) and averaged just 1.7 sources per story (bottom third). College staff were the most likely sources, followed by student sources.
Butte – The Roadrunner had the fewest percent of stories with sources and just 1.5 sources with those that had sources, which was the lowest count in the state. Media sources, where reporters did not talk to anyone, were the most likely sources.
Cabrillo – The Voice had 72.7 percent of stories with sources (middle third) and average just 2.8 (middle third). Students and non-campus sources tied as the mostly likely sources.
Canyons – The Call included sources in 92.0 percent of its stories (top third). Because of its heavy use of community stories, it is not surprising that non-campus sources made up more than half of all sources. It averaged 2.5 sources per story, which is at the bottom third in the state.
Cerritos – The Talon Marks included sources in just 51.6 percent of its stories, one of the lowest averages in the state. It averaged 2.3 sources per story (bottom third) and was in the top third in use of media sources.
Chabot – The Spectator had just one story for the semester, one that might not have even been produced by a current member of the publication. But it had three sources (middle third) and gave the publication a 100 percent rating (top third).
Chaffey – The Breeze included sources in 71.7 percent of its stories (top third) but averaged only 2.4 sources (bottom third) when it did. A little more than a third of its sources were student sources.
Citrus – The Clarion averaged sources in its stories just 45.2 percent of the time (bottom third), one of the lowest averages in the state. But when it did it averaged 3.3 sources per story (top third). Students, overwhelmingly, were the most likely sources.
Contra Costa – The Advocate included sources in 90.3 percent of its stories (top third) and averaged 3.0 sources (middle third) when it did. Media sources accounted for nearly half of its total sources for the semester.
Cosumnes River – The Connection included sources in 91.8 percent of its stories (top third) and averaged 4.0 sources when it did (top third). Students made up just more than 50 percent of all sources.
Cuesta – The Cuestonian included sources in nearly a quarter (73.7 percent) of its stories (middle third) and averaged 2.1 sources (bottom third) when it did. Media were its most likely source for sources.
Cypress – The Charger included sources in just two thirds of its stories (bottom third) and averaged just 1.9 sources (bottom third) when it did, one of the lowest averages in the state. Media sources were the most likely sources, accounting for about half of all its sources.
DeAnza – LaVoz included sources in four of five stories (80.2 percent, middle third). Most of its weekly Friday Facts stories being largely sourceless, which dropped it to the middle tier. Its overall 3.4 average of sources per story, though, was in the top third. Students made up more than half of its sources.
Desert – The Chapparal included sources in just 46.2 percent of its stories (bottom third), one of lowest rates in the state, but its 3.4 sources when it does just missed the top third tier. Media sources outpaced student sources by almost double, much of this aided by a high non-campus content pattern.
Diablo Valley – The Inquirer included sources in more than four of five stories (80.4 percent, middle third) and averaged 3.3 sources (top third) when it did. Students beat out campus staff as the most likely sources. Its use of administrative sources was among the highest in the state.
East LA – The Campus News included sources in just more than two of three seven stories (68.8 percent, bottom third). It averaged 2.3 sources per story with sources (bottom third). More than half of sources were media sources and the publication had no administrative sources, one of just a few publications without them.
El Camino - The Union included sources in 87.1 percent of its stories (top third) and averaged 3.4 sources when it did (top third). While it has a strong campus staff representation, students were the most common source.
Foothill – The Script had few stories, but two-thirds (66.7 percent, middle third) had sources and its 3.7 average was in the top third tier. The publication had no administrative sources, one of just a few publications without them. Media sources accounted for more than half of all sources.
Fresno – The Rampage had sources in more than three-quarters (78.8 percent) of its stories (middle third). Its 3.0 average was also in the middle third tier. Student sources were the highest source of sources.
Fullerton – The Hornet included sources in a healthy 94.6 percent of stories (top third) and averaged 2.4 sources per story (bottom third). A heavy use of community stories contributed to non-campus sources being the most likely group of sources, though students and campus staff sources are not far behind.
Glendale – El Vaquero included sources in 87.5 percent of its stories (top third), but averaged just 1.6 sources when it did, one of the lowest rates in the state. Media sources accounted for more than half of all sources. The publication had no administrative sources, one of just a few publications without them.
LA Valley – The Valley Star included sources in four out of five stories (80.1 percent, middle third) and averaged 3.3 sources per story (top third). Students accounted for more than half of all sources.
Laney – The Peralta Citizen was one of just a few publications that included sources in all stories (top third). Its 3.5 source average was also in the top third. Students were the main sources, but non-campus and media sources, when combined, made up a quarter of sources.
Las Positas – The Express included sources in nearly nine of 10 stories (89.5 percent, top third) and averaged 2.7 sources (middle third). Students were the biggest source of sources, but campus staff source usage was healthy, too.
Long Beach – The Viking News included sources in just more than nine of 10 stories (90.2 percent, top third) and averaged 3.3 sources per story (top third). While students outpaced other groups for sources, use of campus staff and non-campus sources was also strong.
Los Medanos – The Experience included sources in only three of five stories (65.3 percent, bottom third) and averaged 2.9 stories (bottom third). Its high use of non-campus/non-community opinion stories contributed to these low usage numbers. While students outpaced other groups for sources, use of campus staff and non-campus sources was also strong.
Mt. San Antonio – SAC-media included courses in just under three-quarters of stories (73.3 percent, middle third) and averaged 3.7 sources per story (top third). Despite a lot of non-campus stories, students accounted for a third of all stories.
Mt. San Jacinto – The Talon included sources in nearly nine in 10 stories (87.9 percent, top third) and averaged 3.0 sources per story (middle third). Non-campus sources made up the largest group of sources, followed by media sources.
Orange Coast – The Coast Report included sources in more than four of five stories (81.5 percent, middle third) and included 3.3 sources per story (top third). Student sources vastly outpaced other sources.
Palomar – The Telescope included sources in just three of five stories (65.5 percent, bottom third) but averaged 3.3 sources (top third) when it did. Campus faculty and staff led all sources.
Pasadena – The Courier included sources in four out of five stories (81.5 percent, middle third) and averaged 3.0 sources per story (middle third). Students comprised the largest group of sources, but the publication also used a lot of media sources, especially in editorials.
Pierce – The Roundup included sources in more than four of five stories (83.8 percent (middle third) and averaged 3.5 sources (top third). Students made up the largest group of sources, but its heavy use of media sources in opinion stories was second most.
Rio Hondo – El Paisano incorporated sources in more than four of five stories (86.4 percent (top third), but averaged only 1.8 sources per story, one of the smallest counts in the state. Non-campus sources made up the largest group of sources., followed by campus staff.
Riverside – The Viewpoints included sources in more than four of five stories (84.1 percent (middle third) and averaged 3.0 sources per story (middle third). The publication had no administrative sources, one of just a few publications without them. Student sources barely outpaced non-campus sources —the publication did a lot of community-based stories— and media sources.
Sacramento – The Express included sources in just 57.4 of its stories (bottom third), one of the lowest percentages in the state. It averaged just 2.3 sources per story (bottom third). Student sources just barely outpaced media sources as the main group of sources.
Saddleback – The Lariat included sources in two-thirds of its stories (67.9 percent, bottom third) and averaged 2.5 sources per story (bottom third). Student sources outpaced campus staff, but the publication did a lot of non-campus stories and sources media source use was heavy.
San Diego City – The City Times included sources in nearly seven in 10 stories (69.0 percent (bottom third) and averaged 2.6 per story (middle third). Students and campus staff were the main groups of sources, but media sources were high, too.
San Diego Mesa – The Mesa Press incorporated sources in nearly two-thirds of its stories (66.7 percent, bottom third) and averaged 2.2 sources (bottom third). Non-campus sources made up the largest group of sources followed closely by student can campus-sources. The publication had no administrative sources, one of just a few publications without them.
San Francisco – The Guardsman included sources in more than seven of 10 stories (72.4 percent, middle third) and averaged 2.6 sources per story (middle third). Campus staff barely outpaced non-campus and student sources. Media sources were not far behind.
San Joaquin Delta – The Collegian incorporated sources in more than nine of 10 stories (92.1 percent, top third) and averaged 3.4 sources per story (top third). Media sources were the largest group of sources, outpacing student and campus staff.
San Jose – The City Times included sources in 87.5 percent of stories (top third) and averaged 3. Sources (top third). More than half of sources were students, but the publication had no administrative sources, one of just a few publications without them.
Santa Ana – El Don incorporated sources in a Little more than three-quarters of stories (77.6 percent, middle third) and averaged 2.8 sources (middle third). Campus staff and students made up equal groups of sources.
Santa Barbara – The Channels included sources in seven of 10 stories (71.6 percent, middle third) and averaged 3.2 sources per story (top third). The publication covered a lot of campus governance stories, so campus staff barely outpaced student sources.
Santa Monica – The Corsair incorporated sources in 73.0 percent of its stories (middle third) and averaged 3.2 stories in each (top third). Non-campus sources in community-based stories dominated, though student sources were also strong.
Santa Rosa – The Oak Leaf included sources in more than four out of five stories (82.5 percent, middle third) and averaged 3.5 sources (top third). While students were the largest group of sources, just barely, the publication ran a lot of community features, so non-campus sources were used a lot, too.
Sequoias – The Campus Journal incorporated sources in less than half its stories (41.9 percent, bottom third), many of them campus news and campus feature stories. It averaged just 1.7 sources per story, one of the lowest rates in the state. When it did use sources, many were students, though many included just first names for no obvious reason.
Sierra – The Roundhouse had few stories compared to other publications, but 100 percent of its stories had sources. Its 5.4 average sources rate was also the highest in the state. Media sources were the largest group, followed by non-campus sources. The publication was the only one in the state to involve neither campus administrators nor campus staff.
Skyline – The Skyline View had sources in just 62.5 percent of stories (bottom third) and averaged 2.8 sources per story (middle third). Students made up more than 50 percent of sources.
Solano – The Pulse included sources in seven of 10 stories (70.4 percent, middle third) and averaged 2.9 sources middle third. Student sources were the largest group of sources, but campus staff were well represented, too.
Southwest – The Sun incorporated sources in more than three-quarters of its stories (77.3 percent, middle third) and averaged 3.1 sources (top third). Non-campus sources outpaced all groups with students and campus staff following with near equal balance.
Publication-by-publication reports
The author is under no illusion that everyone will want to read reports for all 54 publications that are monitored each semester, but some may find that reading other publication reports helpful, as not all operate under the same conditions.
Reports show current semester numbers and percentages, previous semester data, rankings compared to others in the state, and posting patterns. Grades in the reports are based on the following numbers:
| Sources (Avg) | A = 90%-plus | B = 80%-plus | C = 70%-plus | D = 60%-plus |
| Sources (Srcs) | A = 3.5-plus | B = 3.0-plus | C = 2.0-plus | D = 1.0-plus |
| Links (Avg) | A = 50%-plus | B = 40%-plus | C = 30%-plus | D = 20%-plus |
| Links (links) | A = 8.0-plus | B = 4.0-plus | C = 3.0–plus | D = 1.5-plus |
| Posting | A = 4-plus days | B = 3-plus days | C = 2-plus days | D = 1-plus days |
You can download a PDF of each publication's analysis and charts by clicking on the appropriate links.
American River – The Current
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The Current produced 94 stories over 17 adjusted weeks, resulting in a weekly average of approximately 5.53 stories. This output is above the state average of 76.5 stories and a weekly average of 5.4 stories.
Compared to previous semesters: Fa25’s total stories are slightly below Sp25 (n.96) but higher than most other previous semesters.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (78.4 percent)
Average per story = C (2.7)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (53.3 percent)
Average per story = C (3.8)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.4 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story count and weekly average exceed state averages, demonstrating strong productivity.
- Campus coverage is robust at percent, close to the state average of 69.6 percent, indicating a strong focus on campus-related news.
- News stories make up 39.4 percent of content, which is competitive with the state average of 49.3 percent.
- The percentage of stories with in-story links is notably high (A grade, 53.3 percent), supporting digital engagement and resourcefulness.
- Posting consistency is solid, with 3.4 days per week, above the state posting percentage of 35.5 percent.
Weaknesses
- Sports coverage (17.0 percent) is slightly above the state average (15.0 percent), but the number of campus sports stories (n.10) is below the state average (n.12.1).
- Feature stories (13.8 percent) are below the state average (24.1 percent), suggesting an opportunity to diversify content.
- Multimedia output (gallery: 14, audio/video: 0) is uneven compared to state averages with no audio or video stories produced.
- Campus governance coverage is minimal (two stories).
Summary Statement
The Current ranked first in the state in percentage devoted to campus opinion and second in overall in percent devoted to opinion stories. It also tied for first in the total number of campus opinion stories.
The Current is really active and involved on campus, putting out a lot of stories, covering news well, and making good use of digital links. Still, there’s room to mix up the types of stories, add more multimedia like videos or audio, and do a better job covering campus government and feature pieces.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the proportion of feature stories to better align with state averages.
- Expand multimedia offerings, especially audio and video content, to enrich the publication’s digital presence.
- Strengthen campus governance coverage to provide more comprehensive reporting on institutional affairs.
- Monitor the balance between opinion and news stories to ensure a diverse and representative mix.
- Continue to build on strengths in posting consistency and in-story linking to maintain audience engagement.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Bakersfield Rip
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The Rip produced a solid number of stories this semester, though the total and adjusted weekly averages show room for improvement compared to previous semesters. While output remains steady, the pace of posting could be optimized to maintain consistency.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (60.4 percent)
Average per story = D (1.7)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (1.8 percent)
Average per story = B (3.4)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.4 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a respectable posting frequency, averaging 3.4 days per week, which supports audience engagement.
- Average in-story links per story (3.4) earned a B grade, showing strong integration of relevant references within stories.
- Sports coverage is a clear strength, aligning well with campus interest and exceeding state averages in certain categories.
- Features content is robust, providing depth beyond hard news and opinion pieces.
Weaknesses
- Source use remains a significant weakness, with only 60.4 percent of stories meeting expectations, far below state standards.
- In-story link inclusion across all stories is minimal (1.8 percent), earning an F grade.
- Campus governance coverage is low compared to state averages, reducing transparency on institutional decisions.
Summary Statement
The Bakersfield Rip does a good job staying active and mixing things up with different types of content, especially sports. But there’s still work to do—using more sources, adding more links, and covering a wider range of topics like campus decisions and community news would help the publication meet state norms.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase source use across stories to improve credibility and meet state expectations.
- Expand in-story link integration to enhance reader engagement and navigation.
- Broaden coverage of campus governance and community issues for a more balanced portfolio.
- Develop audio content to complement existing multimedia efforts.
- Continue leveraging strengths in sports and features while improving news and opinion diversity.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Butte Roadrunner
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 77 stories over 15 adjusted weeks this semester, resulting in a weekly average of 5.1 stories. This output is slightly above the state average of 76.5 stories and just below the state weekly average of 5.4 stories.
Compared to previous semesters, the current total is higher than Spring 2025 (n.69) but lower than Fall 2024 (n. 146) and Spring 2024 (n.144). The weekly average this semester is also higher than Spring 2025 (n.3.8) but lower than earlier semesters.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = F (44.2 percent)
Average per story = D (1.5)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = D (24.7 percent)
Average per story = C (3.3)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.1 days)
Strengths:
- The publication’s total story output is above the state average, showing strong productivity.
- Posting frequency is excellent, with an average of 4.1 days per week, earning an "A" grade and surpassing the state posting percentage of 35.5 percent.
- Feature stories make up 38.9 percent of the publication’s output, higher than the state average of 24.1 percent.
- The proportion of "neither" (non-campus/non-community) stories is 53.2 percent, which is higher than the state average (17.8 percent), suggesting the publication covers a broader range of topics.
- Sports coverage (16.9 percent) is close to the state average (15.0 percent), maintaining balanced representation in this category.
Weaknesses:
- Source use is a significant weakness, with 44.2 percent of stories receiving an "F" and an average of only 1.5 sources per story ("D" grade).
- In-story links are underutilized, with only 24.7 percent of stories earning a "D" and an average of 3.3 links per story ("C" grade).
- Campus coverage is 33.8 percent, much lower than the state average of 69.6 percent, suggesting the publication could better serve its core audience.
- Community coverage is 13.0 percent, slightly above the state average (7.3 percent), but still represents a small portion of total output.
- Multimedia content is minimal, with only one gallery story and no audio or video stories, falling short of the state averages for multimedia engagement.
Summary Statement
The Roadrunner ranked third overall in non-campus/non-community stories, but it has increased campus stories over previous semesters. It will build a campus following easier if it concentrates more on campus or community stories.
The Butte Roadrunner does a great job putting out stories regularly and staying active. They’re especially good at writing feature pieces and covering lots of different topics. Still, there’s room to get better—like using more sources in stories, adding more links, focusing more on campus news, and including more multimedia like videos or audio
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the use of sources in stories to enhance credibility and meet journalistic standards.
- Incorporate more in-story links to boost reader engagement.
- Expand campus-focused coverage to better serve the primary audience. Be aware of your audience.
- Develop more multimedia content, including audio, video, and galleries.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Cabrillo Voice
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The Voice produced 11 stories over 3 adjusted weeks for Fall 2025. This results in a weekly average of approximately 3.67 stories.
Compared to previous semesters, this output is lower than Spring 2025 (21 stories, 1.8 weekly average) and Fall 2024 (21 stories, 2.6 weekly average), but higher than Spring 2023 (7 stories, 0.9 weekly average). The current output is also significantly below the state average of 76.5 stories and a 5.4 weekly story average.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (72.7 percent)
Average per story = C (2.8)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (none)
Average per story = F (none)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.3 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s weekly story average (3.7) is above its own recent semester averages and above the Spring 2025 and Spring 2023 rates.
- A high percentage of stories (72.7 percent) include source use, which is above the state average (C grade) and demonstrates a commitment to sourcing.
- The publication posts stories on multiple days per week (2.3 days), which is a solid effort toward regular engagement.
- Feature stories make up a significant portion (36.4 percent), which is above the state average (24.1 percent), showing strength in in-depth or human-interest reporting.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories (n.11) is well below the state average (76.5), indicating a need for increased output.
- The publication’s community coverage (36.4 percent) is higher than the state average (7.3 percent), but this may come at the expense of campus coverage, which is below the state benchmark.
- There are no in-story links, resulting in an F grade for both percentage and average per story, which limits digital engagement and resource depth.
- Multimedia content is absent, with no audio, video, or gallery stories, while the state average is 12.2 total multimedia stories.
- Posting percentage (33.3 percent) is slightly below the state average (35.5 percent), suggesting room for improvement in maintaining a consistent publishing schedule.
Summary Statement
The Voice started the semester with handcuffs on its wrists as the production class was cancelled early in the semester. The fact that it produced any stories at all this semester is a testament to the staff.
The publication demonstrates strengths in feature reporting and source use, with a posting frequency that has improved compared to some previous semesters. However, the publication lags behind state averages in total output, campus coverage, multimedia content, and digital engagement through in-story links.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase overall story output.
- Enhance campus coverage to better align with state norms.
- Incorporate in-story links to improve digital engagement and provide readers with additional resources.
- Develop and publish multimedia content to diversify storytelling and meet state standards.
- Strive for a higher posting percentage by maintaining a more consistent publishing schedule.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Canyons Call
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 87 stories over 18 adjusted weeks for the Fall 2025 semester. This output is higher than the state average of 76.5 stories and demonstrates a strong commitment to consistent publishing. The weekly average of 4.83 stories is slightly below the state average of 5.4, but it is an improvement over other semesters.
Compared to Spring 2025 (n.6.7), the current semester’s weekly average is lower, but the total number of stories is higher than in any previous semester with available data.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A (92.0 percent)
Average per story = C (2.5)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (2.3 percent)
Average per story = F (1.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.7 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story count (87) exceeds the state average.
- Community coverage is robust, with 56.3 percent of stories focused on community topics, well above the state average of 7.3 percent. This demonstrates a unique strength in connecting with the broader community.
- Campus stories make up 42.5 percent of the total, which, while below the state average of 69.6 percent, still represents a significant portion of coverage.
- Feature stories account for 28.7 percent of the total, surpassing the state average of 24.1 percent.
- The posting percentage (38.1 percent) is above the state average (35.5 percent), reflecting consistent publishing habits.
Weaknesses
- News stories comprise 45.9 percent of the total, slightly below the state average of 49.3 percent, indicating an opportunity to increase hard news coverage.
- Sports stories make up 24.1 percent, which is above the state average (15.0 percent).
- Opinion stories are only 1.1 percent of the total, significantly below the state average of 11.5 percent. This is an area where the publication could diversify its content.
- In-story links are rarely used, with only 2.3 percent of stories including them, far below expectations. This limits the depth and interactivity of the publication’s digital content.
Summary Statement
The Call is unique in the state in its near-exclusive use of video stories with text stories. The text story is a textualized version of a transcript for the video. The repetition of the style wears over time, but the publication clearly has a story-telling strategy and it practices it over and over, with varying degrees of skill. It is also the leader in the state in community-based storytelling and second overall in use of multimedia.
The publication’s extended coverage of high school football was an interesting twist to content. Hopefully, it increased audience share.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the proportion of news and opinion stories to better align with state averages and provide a broader range of perspectives.
- Enhance the use of in-story links to improve digital storytelling and reader engagement.
- Consider strategies to boost campus sports coverage and further diversify content.
- Maintain the strong focus on community coverage while balancing with other content areas.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Talon Marks
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced a total of 187 stories over 18 adjusted weeks, which is down slightly from previous semesters while the publication window was consistent. It typically produces closer to 195-plus stories and sometimes more than 200. Still, it had the most stories of any publication in the state. It also had the third highest weekly story average.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = F (51.6 percent)
Average per story = C (2.3)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (14.4 percent)
Average per story = B (6.1)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.9)
Strengths
- The publication demonstrates strong multimedia integration compared to state averages..
- Consistent posting frequency suggests a steady workflow, even if slightly below optimal.
- Sports coverage is robust, aligning well with campus interest and exceeding state averages.
- Feature stories represent a healthy portion of content, offering variety for readers.
Weaknesses
- Source use remains a critical weakness, far below expectations and state norms.
- Campus governance coverage is limited, reducing depth in institutional reporting.
- Posting percentage trails the state average, signaling room for improvement in timeliness.
- Opinion content could be stronger if it focused more on campus issues.
Summary Statement
The Talon Marks regularly leads or is near the top of the state in total stories for the semester. Some of this is because of its practice of including PDFs of individual print pages for portfolio reasons for page designers. This semester it had a higher number of professional sports stories.
Overall, Cerritos Talon Marks shows strengths in multimedia and sports coverage but faces significant challenges in source use and campus governance reporting. Posting consistency is fair but could improve to meet state norms.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase source use across stories to enhance credibility and meet journalistic standards.
- Expand coverage of campus governance and opinion to provide a more balanced editorial mix. Consider covering the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate on a regular basis; don’t be a stranger at meetings.
- Continue leveraging strengths in sports and features while improving link integration across all stories.
- Consider including introductory paragraphs (leads) when substituting transcripts of audio and video stories for a text story. And make sure to attach the audio or video to the story.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Chabot Spectator
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The Spectator is, technically, a dormant publication that published just one story over the semester, a story that may not have been created/published by a student staff member; the one story does not cover a campus or community story. With just one story, the publication never hit the benchmark of two or more stories in one calendar week.
Sources grades
Pct of stories with sources = A+ (100 percent)
Average sources per story = B (n.3.0)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories with links = F (none)
Average links per story = 0 (none)
Posting grades
Days per week = F (none)
Strengths
- It is difficult to analyze the publication’s strengths based on just one story.
Weaknesses
- It is difficult to analyze the publication’s weaknesses based on just one story.
Summary
It is unfortunate that the Chabot Spectator has been forced into dormancy. And now it looks as though its old domain has been hacked by a former student or someone no longer associated with the publication.
Recommendations for improvement
- The obvious recommendation for improvement is to bring the publication back to life, preferably as a production course. But even as a club or extracurricular activity it would be a benefit for the college
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Chaffey Breeze
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
- The publication produced 45 stories over 14 adjusted weeks this semester.
- Compared to previous semesters:
- Spring 2025: 35 stories over 20 weeks
- Fall 2024: 40 stories over 8 weeks
- Spring 2024: 91 stories over 16 weeks
- Fall 2023: 63 stories over 19 weeks
- Spring 2023: 46 stories over 6 weeks
The current total is below the state average of 76.5 stories, and the weekly average (3.2) is also lower than the state’s 5.4. However, the output is higher than Spring 2025 and Fall 2024, showing some improvement in consistency and volume.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (71.1 percent)
Average per story = C (2.7)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (63.6 percent)
Average per story = C (3.1)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.2 days)
WHERE THE PUBLICATION SHINES
The Breeze has made great strides from previous semesters with increased use of campus-based stories and in frequence of posts. It still has a ways to go in covering campus news events stories, though.
Strengths
- The publication’s in-story links are a standout, with 63.6 percent of stories earning an A grade, indicating strong digital engagement and resource integration.
- The percentage of campus-focused stories (73.3 percent) is well above the state average (69.6 percent), reflecting a strong connection to campus issues and interests.
- The feature story proportion (31.1 percent) is higher than the state average (24.1 percent).
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories (45) is significantly below the state average (76.5), indicating room for increased output.
- The weekly story average (3.2) falls short of the state’s 5.4..
- Community coverage (8.9 percent) is just above the state average (7.3 percent) but remains a small portion of overall content, limiting broader appeal.
- The sports story proportion (20.0 percent) is above the state average (15.0 percent).
- Multimedia output is limited (two audio stories, no video or gallery), falling short of state average of 12.2 total multimedia stories).
Summary Statement
Chaffey Breeze demonstrates strengths in campus coverage, feature writing, and digital integration through in-story links. While the publication has improved its consistency compared to some recent semesters, overall story output and multimedia content remain areas for growth.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase overall story output and strive for a higher weekly average to approach or exceed state norms.
- Expand multimedia content, including video and gallery stories, to enhance digital engagement and follow state standards.
- Continue to build on strengths in campus and feature coverage while seeking opportunities to diversify content, especially in community and sports reporting.
- Maintain the strong use of in-story links and regular posting schedule to support audience engagement and information accessibility.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Citrus Clarion
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 39 stories over 13 adjusted weeks for the Fa25 semester.
The Fa25 output is below the state average of 76.5 stories and a weekly average of 3.0 stories (state average: 5.4).
Source use grades
Pct of stories = F (45.2 percent)
Average per story = B (3.3)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (4.8 percent)
Average per story = F (1.3)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.6 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a consistent posting schedule, with stories posted on most days of the week, especially Fridays and weekends.
- Campus coverage is strong, with 76.9 percent of stories focused on campus topics, exceeding the state average of 69.6 percent.
- Multimedia content is present, with four total multimedia stories, showing some diversification in content types.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories and weekly average are below state benchmarks and previous semester highs.
- News stories account for 66.7 percent, which is above the state average, but opinion (15.4 percent) and sports (2.6 percent) are underrepresented compared to state averages (11.5 percent and 15.0 percent, respectively).
- In-story links and source use grades are low, indicating a need for improvement in digital engagement and sourcing practices.
- The posting percentage (37.4 percent) is slightly above the state average (35.5 percent), but there is room for improvement in maximizing posting days.
Summary Statement
The publication ranked fifth in the state in percentage of stories devoted to campus news.
The Citrus Clarion publication delivers steady campus-focused coverage and maintains a consistent posting schedule. However, output volume, community engagement, and digital sourcing practices fall short of state standards and previous semester peaks.
The Citrus Clarion does a good job of covering campus news and keeps up a regular posting routine. But, the number of stories, how much the community gets involved, and the way sources are used online aren’t quite up to state standards or as strong as last semester.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase overall story output to meet or exceed state averages.
- Expand coverage in community, opinion, and sports categories to provide a more balanced content mix.
- Enhance digital engagement by improving in-story links and source use.
- Continue to diversify multimedia offerings to align with state norms.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI
• • • • •
Contra Costa Advocate
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced a strong volume of stories this semester, with notable performance in several areas. Compared to previous semesters, the total number of stories and adjusted weekly averages show improvement, indicating consistent engagement and output.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A (90.3 percent)
Average per story = B (3.0)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (51.6 percent)
Average per story = D (2.8)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.3 days)
Strengths
- The Advocate excels in source use, with 90.3 percent of stories including sources, well above expectations.
- Strong performance in link inclusion percentage (51.6 percent), showing attention to digital engagement.
- Coverage balance leans toward news and features, aligning with audience interest.
Weaknesses
- Posting frequency is low at 1.3 days per week, limiting audience engagement opportunities.
- Average in-story links per story (2.8) falls short of best practices, reducing depth of digital integration.
- Campus coverage percentage could be higher to match state norms (69.6 percent).
- Opinion and sports content are underrepresented compared to state averages, narrowing diversity of voices.
- Governance stories and audio content remain minimal, missing opportunities for expanded coverage.
Summary Statement
The Advocate ranked sixth highest in non-campus/non-community stories. It might want to consider covering more stories closer to home.
The Advocate does a great job using sources and puts out a solid amount of stories. Still, they could post more often and mix up the types of stories they share to keep people interested and hit state standards.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase posting frequency for stronger visibility.
- Boost in-story link depth to improve reader experience and credibility.
- Expand coverage in campus opinion and sports to diversify content offerings.
- Develop campus governance and audio storytelling to strengthen comprehensive reporting.
- Maintain strong sourcing standards while improving link quality per story.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Cosumnes River Connection
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 61 stories over 14 adjusted weeks this semester, resulting in a weekly average of 4.36 stories.
This semester’s output is below the state average (76.5 stories, 5.4 weekly average) and lower than most recent semesters, indicating a drop in both total production and weekly consistency.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A (91.8 percent)
Average per story = A (4.0)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (8.2 percent)
Average per story = D (1.6)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.0 days)
Strengths
- The publication excels in source use, with 91.8 percent of stories meeting the highest standard and an average of 4.0 sources per story, well above state expectations.
- Campus coverage is strong, with 93.4 percent of stories focused on campus topics, surpassing the state average of 69.6 percent.
- News content makes up 52.5 percent of stories, exceeding the state average of 49.3 percent.
- Posting consistency is solid, with an average of 3.0 days per week, earning a B grade and outperforming the state posting percentage.
- The publication maintains a balanced mix of news, opinion, sports, and features, with sports and features close to state averages.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories and weekly average are below both state and previous semester averages, indicating reduced output.
- In-story links are a significant weakness, with only 8.2 percent of stories including them and a low average per story (1.6), far below state practices.
- Multimedia content is limited, with only nine gallery stories and no audio or video.
- Community coverage is minimal (1.6 percent), much lower than the state average of 7.3 percent.
- Campus governance stories are scarce, with only one faculty senate story and no trustee, student senate, or admin coverage.
Summary Statement
The Connection ranked second in the state in percent of stories devoted to campus opinion and seventh in total campus opinion stories. It ranked fifth in percentage of campus-focused stories.
The publication demonstrates notable strengths in source use, campus coverage, and news content, but faces challenges in overall output, in-story links, multimedia, and community engagement. Performance in several areas lags behind both state and previous semester averages.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase total story output and strive for a higher weekly average to match or exceed state and past semester benchmarks.
- Enhance the use of in-story links to improve digital engagement and meet state standards.
- Expand multimedia offerings, especially audio and video, to diversify content and attract broader audiences.
- Boost community coverage to better reflect the interests and activities beyond campus.
- Strengthen campus governance reporting by covering a wider range of governance bodies and issues.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Cuesta Cuestonian
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The Cuestonian produced 38 stories over 15 adjusted weeks for the Fa25 semester. This results in a weekly average of approximately 2.53 stories.
Compared to previous semesters, the Fa25 output is higher than Fa24 (32 stories, 11 weeks, 2.9 weekly average) and Sp24 (24 stories, 7 weeks, 3.4 weekly average), but lower than Sp25 (52 stories, 21 weeks, 2.5 weekly average).
The Fa25 semester shows a solid improvement in total output over earlier fall semesters, indicating increased productivity and consistency in publishing.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (73.7 percent)
Average per story = C (2.1)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (73.7 percent)
Average per story = B (5.3)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.2 days)
Strengths of the publication:
- The publication maintains a consistent weekly output, with a posting average that is close to the state average posting percentage
- Campus coverage is strong at 71.1 percent, surpassing the state average of 69.6 percent, demonstrating a clear focus on campus-related stories.
- Feature stories make up 31.6 percent of the total, which is higher than the state average of 24.1 percent, highlighting a strength in in-depth or human-interest reporting.
- The proportion of news stories (57.9 percent) exceeds the state average (49.3 percent), indicating robust coverage of timely and factual content.
- The publication excels in in-story links, with 73.7 percent of stories earning an A grade and an average of 5.3 links per story, supporting strong digital engagement.
Weaknesses of the publication:
- The total number of stories (n.38) is below the state average (n.76.5), suggesting room for increased output.
- Sports coverage (2.6 percent) is significantly below the state average (15.0 percent), revealing a gap in athletic reporting.
- Opinion stories (7.9 percent) fall short of the state average (11.5 percent), suggesting limited editorial or commentary content.
- Multimedia output (10 total) is below the state average (12.2), with audio stories absent and video/gallery stories slightly under state norms.
Summary Statement:
While the publication devotes a strong amount of stories to campus news, it also does a good job covering community-based stories, where it ranked highest percentage in the state.
While the publication still has much it can improve, it shows a strong growth from earlier semesters.
Recommendations for improvement:
- Increase the number of sports and opinion stories to provide a more balanced editorial mix.
- Boost overall story output to approach or exceed the state average.
- Enhance multimedia offerings, especially audio and gallery content, to enrich reader experience.
- Continue leveraging strong campus and feature coverage while exploring new topics to diversify content.
- Invest more in covering campus government groups, especially the board of trustees, student government, and the faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Cypress Chronicle
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The Chronicle produced a total of 36 stories over 11 adjusted weeks, which was one of its lowest outputs since this study began. It averaged 3.3 stories per week.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (66.7 percent)
Average per story = D (1.9)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = C (33. percent)
Average per story = F (1.4)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.2 days)
Strengths:
- The publication demonstrates consistent posting frequency..
- Coverage includes a mix of news, opinion, sports, and features, which helps diversify content for readers.
- Campus coverage remains a strong focus, aligning with audience expectations.
- Sports coverage is present and contributes to overall engagement.
Weaknesses:
- Total story output falls short of the state average of 76.5 stories, limiting overall reach.
- Weekly story average is below the state benchmark of 5.4, indicating room for improvement.
- Source use and in-story link grades are low, suggesting a need for stronger attribution and hyperlinking practices.
- Multimedia content lags behind state averages, particularly in audio and gallery formats.
- Posting percentage and days per week are below optimal levels, reducing visibility and engagement opportunities.
Summary Statement:
The Chronicle ranked first in the state in percentage of stories devoted to campus news, as well as first in the state in percentage of news stories. It ranked fourth in percentage of campus stories of all genres.
The publication shows commitment to campus-focused coverage and a diverse mix of content types. However, improvements in story volume, source integration, and multimedia presence are needed to meet or exceed state practices.
Recommendations for Improvement:
- Increase overall story output to approach or surpass state averages.
- Enhance source use and in-story linking to improve credibility and reader experience.
- Expand multimedia offerings, particularly audio and gallery stories, to enrich engagement.
- Boost posting frequency to strengthen audience connection and maintain relevance.
- Continue leveraging campus coverage while exploring opportunities for community-focused stories.
- Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
DeAnza La Voz
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
La Voz published 96 stories across 12 adjusted weeks, resulting in an average of 8.0 stories per week. This is a decrease in productivity from previous semesters.
The state average is 76.5 stories and 5.4 weekly average, so La Voz is above the state standard in these areas.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (80.2 percent)
Average per story = B (3.4)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = C (34.4 percent)
Average per story = B (4.9)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.6 days)
Strengths
- High posting frequency: The publication maintained an excellent posting schedule, averaging 4.6 days per week, which exceeds expectations and supports consistent audience engagement.
- Strong source use: With 80.2 percent of stories including sources and an average of 3.4 sources per story, La Voz demonstrates solid reporting practices.
- Balanced coverage: The publication shows a healthy mix of news (49.3 percent) and features (24.1 percent), aligning well with state averages and offering readers diverse content.
- Campus focus: A significant portion of coverage centers on campus topics (69.6 percent), which is essential for relevance to the primary audience.
- Multimedia integration: Total multimedia stories (12.2) indicate an effort to incorporate varied formats, enhancing storytelling.
Weaknesses
- In-story links usage: Only 34.4 percent of stories include links, which is below expectations and limits opportunities for deeper reader engagement.
- Community coverage: At 7.3 percent, community-related stories are minimal compared to state averages, suggesting room for broader outreach.
- Sports coverage: While campus sports stories (12.1) are present, overall sports content (15.0 percent) could be expanded to match interest levels.
Summary Statement
Despite the decrease in overall numbers, La Voz posts frequently and it ranked third in the state in number of days each week stories are posted. It tied for fourth in the number of campus governance stories and tied for eighth in the percentage devoted to campus opinion.
La Voz demonstrates strong consistency in posting and source use, with commendable campus coverage and a solid mix of news and features. However, opportunities exist to improve link integration, expand community and sports coverage, and strengthen multimedia offerings to better align with state benchmarks.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the percentage of stories with in-story links to enhance reader engagement and credibility.
- Expand community coverage to build connections beyond campus and attract a wider audience.
- Boost multimedia content, particularly audio and video, to diversify storytelling formats.
- Strengthen sports coverage to reflect student interests and state averages.
- Continue leveraging strong posting habits while maintaining quality and depth in reporting.
- Continue strong student government coverage, but consider expanding other campus governance coverage, especially trustees and the faculty senate. Don’t be a stranger at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
College of the Desert Chaparral
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
For Fall 2025, the publication produced 39 stories over 14 adjusted weeks, resulting in a weekly average of approximately 2.8 stories. Compared to previous semesters:
- Spring 2025: 42 stories, 19 weeks, 2.2 weekly average
- Fall 2024: 34 stories, 12 weeks, 2.8 weekly average
- Spring 2024: 31 stories, 12 weeks, 2.6 weekly average
This semester’s output is consistent with Fall 2024 and slightly higher than Spring 2025, but below the state average of 76.5 stories and 5.4 weekly average.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = F (46.2 percent)
Average per story = D (1.9)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (41.0 percent)
Average per story = B (6.9)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.4 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a steady weekly output, matching its own previous fall semester average.
- In-story links are a notable strength, with 41 percent of stories earning a B grade and an average of 6.9 links per story, which is above typical expectations.
- Feature stories represent 17.9 percent of the total, slightly above the state average of 15.0 percent, indicating a focus on in-depth coverage.
- The proportion of stories categorized as “Neither” (non-campus/non-community) is 56.4 percent, much higher than the state average of 17.8 percent, suggesting the publication explores broader topics.
- Gallery multimedia content is present, aligning with the state average of 6.7, showing engagement with visual storytelling.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories (n.39) is significantly below the state average (n.76.5), indicating lower overall output.
- Campus coverage is 38.5 percent, well below the state average of 69.6 percent, suggesting limited focus on campus-specific news.
- News stories comprise 38.5 percent of output, which is under the state average of 49.3 percent, indicating a need for more hard news reporting.
- Posting frequency is low, with only 1.4 days per week, earning a D grade and falling short of the state posting percentage of 35.5 percent.
Summary Statement
The Chapparal focuses on non-campus/non-community stories and ranked second in the state in percentage devoted to “neither” stories. It also ranked third in percentage of opinion stories. It also does a decent job covering big stories in the Palm Springs region of the state.
The Chaparral keeps up a steady pace with its weekly stories and does a great job using in-story links and putting together feature pieces. Still, it doesn’t publish as many stories as the state average, and there’s room to improve when it comes to covering campus and community news, as well as posting more often. Focusing a bit more on campus topics could really help boost its impact.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the total number of stories.
- Enhance campus coverage to better reflect local interests and needs.
- Boost news reporting to provide more timely and relevant information.
- Improve posting frequency to maintain audience engagement and meet higher standards.
- Continue to develop multimedia content, especially audio and video, to diversify storytelling formats.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Diablo Valley Inquirer
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks Comparison
The publication produced 51 stories over 13 adjusted weeks this semester, resulting in a weekly average of approximately 3.92 stories.
The current semester’s output is above the recent average, though not as high as the exceptional Fall 2023 and Fall 2022 semesters.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (80.4 percent)
Average per story = B (3.3)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = D (27.5 percent)
Average per story = D (2.4)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.9 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s campus coverage (72.5 percent) is well above the state average (69.6 percent), demonstrating strong engagement with campus-related topics.
- News stories make up 45.1 percent of the total, closely aligning with the state average (49.3 percent), indicating a balanced focus on timely reporting.
- The weekly story average (3.92) is higher than the previous two semesters and approaches the state average (5.4), reflecting improved consistency in output.
- Source use is a notable strength, with 80.4 percent of stories meeting the “B” grade threshold, surpassing state expectations.
- Feature stories account for 29.4 percent of the total, exceeding the state average (24.1 percent), which highlights the publication’s commitment to in-depth storytelling.
Weaknesses
- Community coverage (11.8 percent) is below the state average (7.3 percent), suggesting limited outreach beyond campus.
- In-story links are a significant area for improvement, with only 27.5 percent of stories earning a “D” grade and an average of 2.4 links per story, both below state practices.
- Posting frequency is low, with only 1.9 days per week, resulting in a “D” grade and falling short of the state posting percentage (35.5 percent).
- Sports coverage (5.9 percent) is much lower than the state average (15.0 percent), indicating a potential gap in athletic reporting.
- Multimedia content is absent, while the state average includes audio, video, and gallery stories, suggesting missed opportunities for engagement.
Summary Statement
The Inquirer ranks third in the state in the percent of campus opinion stories.
The publication has demonstrated strengths in campus coverage, feature stories, and source use, with a solid weekly output. However, the publication should address weaknesses in posting frequency, in-story links, sports coverage, and multimedia content to better align with state standards and further enhance its impact.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase posting frequency to improve consistency and visibility.
- Enhance sports and community coverage to broaden the publication’s appeal.
- Integrate more in-story links to enrich content and meet state benchmarks.
- Develop multimedia content (audio, video, gallery) to engage a wider audience and match state averages.
- Continue to build on strengths in campus coverage and feature writing.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
East LA Campus News
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 125 stories over 17 adjusted weeks. This output is notably higher than the state average of 76.5 stories and a 5.4 weekly story average, with the publication achieving a weekly average of 7.35 stories.
Compared to previous semesters, the total number of stories is slightly lower than Sp25 but significantly higher than Fa24 and Sp24. This demonstrates consistent and robust productivity, with the publication regularly exceeding state practices for both total output and weekly averages.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (68.8 percent)
Average per story = B (2.3)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (0.8 percent)
Average per story = F (1.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = F (0.9 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story output (n.125) and weekly average (n.7.4) are well above state averages, reflecting a strong commitment to content production.
- Campus-focused coverage is high at 68.8 percent, closely matching the state average of 69.6 percent, indicating a solid alignment with core campus interests.
- The proportion of news stories (36.8 percent) is substantial, though slightly below the state average (49.3 percent), and the publication maintains a balanced mix of opinion (24.8 percent), sports (21.6 percent), and feature (16.8 percent) content.
- The average number of sources per story (n.2.3) is above a passing grade, indicating that stories are generally well-sourced.
Weaknesses
- The percentage of stories with in-story links is extremely low (0.8 percent), far below the state average and best practices for digital journalism.
- The posting frequency is low, with stories posted on only 0.9 days per week, which may impact audience engagement and regular readership.
- Community coverage (4.8 percent) is below the state average (7.3 percent), suggesting an opportunity to expand reporting beyond campus.
- Multimedia content is absent, with zero audio, video, or gallery stories, highlighting a significant area for growth.
Summary Statement
The Campus News ranked sixth overall in percentage of opinion stories, many of them reviews. It was also ninth in number of campus sports stories and ranked 11th in total number of stories. But it also had one of the lowest post patterns and is clearly a print-centric publication, publishing print first and then moving stories online en masse.
The publication excels in overall story output and maintains strong campus coverage, but it faces challenges in digital engagement, multimedia content, and consistent posting frequency. Addressing these areas will help the publication better meet state standards and further enhance its impact.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the use of in-story links to improve digital storytelling and reader engagement.
- Raise posting frequency to ensure more consistent content delivery throughout the week.
- Expand multimedia offerings, including audio, video, and galleries, to align with state averages and audience expectations.
- Strengthen community coverage to provide a broader perspective and serve a wider audience.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
· Reduce the reliance on reviews.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
EL Camino Union
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The Union published 171 stories of 15 weeks.
The publication produced a strong overall performance this semester. It maintained a solid story count and consistent posting schedule, with notable improvements compared to previous semesters in both output and engagement.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (87.1 percent)
Average per story = B (3.4)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (79.5 percent)
Average per story = B (6.3)
Posting grade
Days per week = A+ (5.3 days)
Strengths
- Strong posting consistency at 5.3 days per week, exceeding state averages and previous performance.
- High percentage of stories using in-story links (79.5 percent), which reflects excellent integration of supporting content.
- Source use is solid at 87.1 percent, showing commitment to credibility and verification.
- Multimedia presence is commendable, with video and gallery stories contributing to a richer reader experience.
- Campus coverage remains a core strength, aligning well with audience expectations.
- Regular campus crime reports, complete with maps, gives readers important campus information.
Weaknesses
- Community-related stories are minimal compared to state averages (7.3 percent), limiting broader audience engagement.
- Audio stories are almost nonexistent (0.6), showing a gap in multimedia diversity.
Areas for Improvement
- Community coverage is limited compared to state benchmarks (7.3 percent), suggesting room for broader engagement.
- Audio and video content is minimal, indicating an opportunity to diversify formats.
Summary Statement
The Union is strong in coverage and produced the second most stories for the semester. It was also ranked second in weekly average. It led in days per week it posts stories. Nearly four in five stories had links. It focuses mostly on campus related stories until late semester when its multimedia class produces community-based stories. It clearly is one of the strongest publications in the state.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Expand coverage of community-related topics to enhance relevance beyond campus.
- Invest in audio storytelling to diversify multimedia offerings.
- Boost campus governance reporting for a more balanced campus news portfolio.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Foothill Script
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced nine total stories over five adjusted weeks for Fa25. This is a significant decrease compared to previous semesters, such as Sp25) and Fa24. The weekly average for Fa25 is 1.8 stories, which is below the state average of 5.4 stories per week.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (66.7 percent)
Average per story = A (3.7)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = C (33.3 percent)
Average per story = D (2.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.2 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a relatively high proportion of feature stories (33.3 percent), which is above the state average (24.1 percent).
- Campus coverage is strong at 55.6 percent, close to the state average (69.6 percent), indicating a focus on campus-related topics.
- The average number of sources per story (A grade, 3.7) demonstrates thorough research and sourcing within stories.
- Multimedia content is present, with at least one gallery story, showing some diversification in content formats.
Weaknesses
- Total output is low compared to state and previous semester averages, with only 9 stories versus the state average of 76.5 and previous semester highs.
- Posting frequency is below expectations, with only 1.2 days per week, which may impact audience engagement.
- Community coverage (11.1 percent) is below the state average (7.3 percent), but the publication could further improve outreach beyond campus.
- In-story links are limited, with only 33.3 percent of stories including them and a low average per story (D grade, 2.0).
- Sports coverage is absent this semester, missing the state average of 15.0 percent.
Summary Statement
The Foothill Script published far fewer stories this semester than in previous semesters, a nod to its fledgling status. It scored highly in the number of sources per story. It ranked fifth in percentage of content devoted to community stories and fifth in percentage devoted to campus opinion.
The Foothill Script publication demonstrates strengths in feature writing, campus coverage, and source use, but faces challenges in overall output, posting frequency, and diversity of coverage. Compared to state and previous semester averages, there is room for improvement in story volume, posting consistency, and inclusion of sports and community topics.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the number of stories per semester to approach state and previous semester averages.
- Boost posting frequency to enhance visibility and engagement.
- Expand coverage to include sports and more community-focused stories.
- Improve the use of in-story links to enrich content and provide additional resources for readers.
- Continue to diversify multimedia offerings to align with state standards.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Fresno RamPage
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 137 stories over 17 adjusted weeks for the Fall 2025 semester. This output is significantly higher than the state average of 76.5 stories and a weekly average of 8.06 stories, compared to the state’s 5.4. Compared to previous semesters, the publication’s total stories and weekly average have increased, showing a strong upward trend in productivity.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (78.8 percent)
Average per story = B (3.0)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (50.0 percent)
Average per story = B (4.9)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.0 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story count and weekly average are well above state averages, reflecting strong productivity and consistent output.
- Campus coverage is robust at 73.0 percent, surpassing the state average of 69.6 percent, indicating a strong focus on campus-related news and features.
- The percentage of news stories (36.5 percent) is competitive, and the feature story percentage (32.8 percent) is notably above the state average of 24.1 percent, highlighting a strength in feature writing.
- The publication’s posting percentage (57.1 percent) is significantly higher than the state average (35.5 percent), demonstrating consistent and frequent publishing.
- In-story links are a clear strength, with 50.0 percent of stories earning an A grade, suggesting strong digital engagement and resource integration.
Weaknesses
- Community coverage (5.1 percent) is below the state average (7.3 percent), indicating an opportunity to expand reporting beyond campus. You cover the Tower district well, but students’ lives are impacted by stories from other parts of Fresno.
- The percentage of sports stories (9.5 percent) is lower than the state average (15.0 percent), suggesting sports coverage could be broadened.
- Multimedia output, while present (16 total), could be diversified further to match or exceed state averages in audio, video, and gallery content.
- The percentage of stories categorized as “neither” campus nor community (21.9 percent) is above the state average (17.8 percent), which may reflect less targeted coverage.
Summary Statement
The RamPage ranked seventh in the number of stories by a publication in the state. It also ranked 10th in both percentage of and number of campus opinion stories.
The publication demonstrates exceptional productivity, strong campus and feature coverage, and effective digital practices. While the publication excels in several key areas, there are opportunities to broaden community and sports coverage, diversify multimedia content, and ensure balanced story types.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase community-focused reporting to better reflect the broader audience.
- Expand sports coverage to align more closely with state benchmarks.
- Continue to diversify multimedia content, especially in audio and gallery formats.
- Monitor the balance of opinion content to ensure a wide range of perspectives and topics.
- Consider strategies to reduce the proportion of stories that do not clearly fit campus or community categories.
- Increase campus governance coverage with more focus on the board of trustees and the faculty senate.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Fullerton Hornet
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 74 stories over 17 adjusted weeks, resulting in a weekly average of 4.35 stories. The current semester’s output is below the state average of 76.5 stories and 5.4 weekly average, and lower than most previous semesters except Fall 2022.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A (94.6 percent)
Average per story = C (2.4)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (46.6 percent)
Average per story = B (4.5)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.8 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a high percentage of campus-focused stories (70.3 percent), outperforming the state average of 69.6 percent.
- News coverage is robust, with 58.1 percent of stories classified as news, well above the state average of 49.3 percent.
- The percentage of stories with source use is outstanding (94.6 percent), earning an A grade and demonstrating strong journalistic standards.
- In-story links are present in nearly half of stories (46.6 percent), which is above average and supports reader engagement.
- Posting consistency is solid, with an average of 3.8 days per week, earning a B grade and indicating regular content delivery.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories and weekly average are below both the state average and most previous semesters, suggesting a decline in output.
- Opinion coverage (2.7 percent) is significantly below the state average of 11.5 percent, indicating limited diversity in viewpoints.
- Sports coverage (20.3 percent) is slightly above the state average (15.0 percent) but lower than some previous semesters, which may reflect less emphasis on athletics.
Summary Statement
The Hornet covers campus but also has a strong showing of community-focused stories, where it ranked sixth in percentage of community stories. It was also fourth highest in use of multimedia stories.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the total number of stories and weekly output to meet or exceed state averages and past performance.
- Expand opinion and feature coverage to provide a broader range of perspectives and deeper storytelling.
- Enhance multimedia offerings to better align with state standards and engage a wider audience.
- Continue to build on strengths in campus and news coverage while seeking opportunities for innovation in content delivery.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Glendale El Camino
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 24 stories over 12 adjusted weeks, resulting in a weekly average of 2.0 stories.
This output is consistent with the previous fall but is significantly lower than the state average of 76.5 stories and a 5.4 weekly story average. The publication’s output is also below the spring semester.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (87.5 percent)
Average per story = D (1.6)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (12.5 percent)
Average per story = F (1.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.0 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a consistent output across semesters, demonstrating reliability in story production.
- A high percentage of stories (87.5 percent) include sources, which is above the state average for source use.
- The majority of stories (95.8 percent) are campus-focused, significantly exceeding the state average of 69.6 percent, showing strong engagement with campus issues.
- Feature stories make up 25 percent of the publication’s output, surpassing the state average of 24.1 percent, indicating a strength in in-depth or human-interest reporting.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories and weekly average are well below state averages and have not increased over recent semesters.
- In-story links are rarely used, with only 12.5 percent of stories including them, far below the state average and earning an F grade.
- The average number of sources per story is low (1.6), indicating limited depth in reporting.
- Posting frequency is low, with only 1.0 day per week on average, which may reduce audience engagement and visibility.
- There is no coverage of community stories, sports, or multimedia content, all of which are below state averages and represent missed opportunities for broader coverage and audience reach.
Summary Statement
El Vaquero does not produce a lot of stories, but when it does it focuses almost exclusively on campus stories. Its 95.8 percent of stories devoted to campus was the second highest in the state and its 66.7 percent devoted to campus news stories was third highest
The publication demonstrates consistency and strong campus focus but falls short in overall output, multimedia, and community engagement compared to state standards and its own past performance.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the total number of stories and strive for a higher weekly average to approach state benchmarks.
- Incorporate more in-story links to enhance the depth and credibility of reporting.
- Raise the average number of sources per story to improve reporting quality.
- Post more frequently throughout the week to boost audience engagement.
- Expand coverage to include community, sports, and multimedia stories to align more closely with state averages and diversify content.
- Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Grossmont Summit
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 21 total stories during the Fa25 semester, with 10 adjusted weeks. This results in a weekly average of 2.1 stories.
Compared to previous semesters Fa25 and Sp25 both had 21 stories, which is significantly below the state average of 76.5 stories. The weekly average for Fa25 (2.1) is higher than Sp25 (1.5), but both are below the state average of 5.4 stories per week. Earlier semesters had higher story counts and weekly averages, indicating a decline in output in the most recent terms.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (81.0 percent)
Average per story = C (2.9)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (14.3 percent)
Average per story = F (1.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = F (0.9 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a strong focus on feature stories, with 57.1 percent of content in this category, well above the state average of 24.1 percent.
- Campus coverage is robust at 80.95 percent, surpassing the state average of 69.6 percent. This demonstrates a clear commitment to campus-related reporting.
- Campus governance coverage is present, with three campus governance stories, aligning with the state average (3.1).
Weaknesses
- Total story output is well below the state average, and recent semesters show a downward trend.
- Posting frequency is low, with only 1.5 days per week, earning an F grade and falling short of the state average posting percentage (12.9 percent vs. 35.5 percent).
- In-story links are minimal, with only 14.3 percent of stories including links and an average of 1.0 per story, both earning F grades.
- Community coverage is limited (4.76 percent), below the state average of 7.3 percent.
- News and opinion coverage are both underrepresented compared to state averages (news: 33.3 percent vs. 49.3 percent; opinion: 0 percent vs. 11.5 percent).
Summary Statement
The Summit runs a lot of feature stories and ranked third in overall percentage feature stories.
The publication demonstrates strengths in feature and campus coverage, but faces challenges in overall story output, posting frequency, and diversity of coverage. Multimedia engagement is present but could be expanded to better match state practices.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase total story output and strive for a higher weekly average to approach state standards.
- Boost posting frequency to improve consistency and visibility.
- Enhance in-story links to provide readers with more resources and context.
- Expand coverage in news, opinion, and community categories for a more balanced publication.
- Continue to develop multimedia content, especially in audio and video formats, to enrich the reader experience.
- Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
- Headlines demonstrate a label style more than industry standards. Male headlines a more recognizable indicator of story content to improve reader interest.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
LA City Collegian
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The LA City College does not have an accompanying website and had no posts for the semester.
Sources grades
Pct of stories with sources = F (none)
Average sources per story = F (none)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories with links = F (none)
Average links per story = F (none)
Posting grades
Days per week = F (none)
Strengths
- It is difficult to analyze the publication’s strengths with no posts for the semester.
Weaknesses
- It is difficult to analyze the publication’s weaknesses with no posts for the semester.
Summary
The LA City College does not have an accompanying
Recommendations for improvement
- The obvious recommendation for improvement is to develop an accompanying website.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
LA Valley Star
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 31 stories over 13 adjusted weeks for the Fa25 semester.
This output is lower than the state average of 76.5 stories and the publication’s previous semester The weekly average for Fa25 is 2.38 stories, which is also below the state average of 5.4 and lower than several previous semesters. This indicates a notable decline in both total output and consistency compared to both state benchmarks and the publication’s own historical performance.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (80.6 percent)
Average per story = C (2.7)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (44.8 percent)
Average per story = D (2.8)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.5 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a strong focus on campus coverage (64.5 percent), which is close to the state average (69.6 percent) and demonstrates a commitment to core institutional reporting.
- The distribution of story types is balanced, with News, Opinion, Sports, and Feature stories each representing about a quarter of the total output, reflecting editorial diversity.
- The percentage of stories with source use (80.6 percent) is above the state average, indicating solid journalistic practices.
- The publication’s use of in-story links (44.8 percent) is competitive, suggesting efforts to provide readers with additional context and resources.
- There are no excessive posting gaps or posts, indicating a steady, if modest, publishing rhythm.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories and weekly average are significantly below state averages and have declined compared to previous semesters.
- Community coverage (12.9 percent) is above the state average (7.3 percent) but still represents a small portion of overall content, limiting broader engagement.
- Multimedia output is minimal.
- The average number of sources per story (2.7) and in-story links per story (2.8) are both below ideal, suggesting opportunities for deeper reporting and richer digital storytelling.
- The posting percentage (20.9 percent) is well below the state average (35.5 percent), indicating infrequent publication days relative to the semester length.
Summary Statement
The Valley Star had the fifth most campus stories of any publication in the state and tied for eighth highest percentage of campus sports. It also tied for ninth in percentage devoted to campus opinion.
The publication demonstrates strengths in campus coverage, editorial diversity, and source use, but faces challenges with overall output, multimedia integration, and posting frequency. The publication’s performance has declined compared to both state benchmarks and its own recent history, particularly in total stories and weekly averages.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase overall story output and strive for a more consistent weekly publishing schedule to approach or exceed state averages.
- Expand multimedia offerings to enhance digital engagement and align with contemporary journalism standards.
- Encourage deeper reporting by increasing the average number of sources and in-story links per article.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Laney – The Peralta Citizen
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 37 total stories over 11 adjusted weeks for Fa25, resulting in a weekly average of approximately 3.36 stories. This is a notable increase compared to Sp25 (21 stories, 18 weeks, 1.2 weekly average) and is comparable to Fa24 and Sp24 (both 51 stories, 19 weeks, 2.7 weekly average). The Fa25 output is above the previous semester and state averages for weekly story production.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A+ (100 percent)
Average per story = A (3.5)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (91.9 percent)
Average per story = A (8.6)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.0 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story count and weekly average are above the previous semester and state averages, demonstrating strong output and consistency.
- Campus coverage is exceptionally high at 94.6 percent, well above the state average of 69.6 percent, showing a strong focus on campus-related content.
- Source use and in-story links grades are outstanding, with 100 percent of stories using sources and 91.9 percent including links, both earning top marks.
- Feature stories make up 16.2 percent of the total, which is close to the state average (24.1 percent), indicating a balanced approach to story types.
Weaknesses
- Community coverage is low at 5.4 percent, below the state average of 7.3 percent, suggesting limited engagement with broader community topics.
- Sports and opinion stories are absent, which is a significant gap compared to state averages.
- The posting percentage (42.9 percent) is above the state average (35.5 percent), but the days per week posted (3.0) is below the state weekly average (5.4), indicating room for improvement in posting frequency.
- Campus governance stories (11) are above the state average (3.1), but faculty and student senate coverage is minimal, which may limit representation of diverse campus voices.
- Multimedia output (4 stories) is below the state average (12.2), suggesting an opportunity to expand in this area.
Summary Statement
The Peralta Citizen focuses heavily on covering the college’s board of trustees — at times it feels like the staff’s interest and news begins and ends with covering the board of trustees, though this semester showed improvement— and tied for fourth in campus governance stories. Indeed, most of the publication’s stories are campus news stories and it ranked second in the state in campus news stories.
The publication demonstrated strong story output and campus coverage for Fa25, with excellent source use and in-story links. However, the publication could benefit from increased community engagement, more sports and opinion stories, and enhanced multimedia offerings to better align with state averages and diversify content.
(Condolences for the devasting shooting on campus this semester, but nice coverage).
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase coverage of community, sports, and opinion stories to provide a broader perspective and meet state practices.
- Enhance multimedia content, including audio, video, and gallery stories, to enrich the publication’s offerings.
- Aim for more consistent posting throughout the week to raise the days-per-week metric closer to the state average.
- Expand faculty and student senate coverage within campus governance to ensure diverse representation.
- Continue to maintain high standards for source use and in-story links, as these are clear strengths.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Las Positas Express
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 86 stories over 17 adjusted weeks, resulting in a weekly average of 5.06 stories. This is above the state average of 76.5 stories and close to the state weekly average of 5.4.
Compared to previous semesters, the semester saw a slight decrease from Sp25 but an increase from Fa24) and Fa23. This demonstrates a consistent and strong output, with the publication maintaining or improving its productivity over time.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (89.5 percent)
Average per story = C (2.7)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (54.7 percent)
Average per story = D (1.7)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.4 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story output exceeds the state average, reflecting strong productivity.
- Campus coverage is high at 79.1 percent, well above the state average of 69.6 percent, showing a strong focus on campus-related news.
- Sports stories make up 33.7 percent of the total, significantly higher than the state average of 15.0 percent, indicating robust sports reporting.
- The percentage of stories with in-story links is excellent (54.7 percent, grade A), suggesting effective integration of digital resources.
- The publication maintains a consistent posting schedule, with a weekly average that matches or exceeds previous semesters.
Weaknesses
- The average number of sources per story (2.7, grade C) is below the state average, indicating room for improvement in source diversity.
- Opinion stories account for 16.3 percent, above the state average of 11.5 percent, but may benefit from more balanced representation across categories.
- The average number of in-story links per story (1.7, grade D) is low, despite a high percentage of stories containing links.
Summary Statement
The Express had a strong share of campus sports stories. It ranked second in the state in percent of campus sports stories, third in total percent of sports stories, and seventh in number of campus sports stories.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the average number of sources per story to enhance credibility and depth.
- Expand multimedia offerings, especially audio and gallery content, to better engage readers.
- Strive for more consistent daily posting to raise the posting percentage above the state average.
- Boost the average number of in-story links per story to further enrich content.
• • • • •
Long Beach Viking News
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 163 stories over 14 adjusted weeks for Fa25. This is well above the state average of 76.5 stories and a weekly average of 11.6 stories, which the highest in the state.
The publication consistently maintains a high output, with Fa25 showing a strong performance in both total stories and weekly average, comparable to or exceeding previous semesters.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A (90.2 percent)
Average per story = B (3.3)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (18.4 percent)
Average per story = C (3.1)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.7 days)
Strengths
- High Story Output: The publication consistently produces a large number of stories, far exceeding the state average and maintaining strong weekly averages across semesters.
- Campus Coverage: 84.0 percent of stories are campus-focused, well above the state average of 69.6 percent. This demonstrates a strong connection to campus issues and interests.
- News and Sports Proportion: News stories make up 57.0 percent (state average 49.3 percent), and sports stories 23 percent (state average 15.0 percent), indicating robust coverage in these key areas.
- Posting Consistency: With an average of 4.7 posting days per week and a posting percentage of 67.3 percent the publication excels in regular content delivery.
- Source Use: 90.2 percent of stories utilize sources, earning an "A" grade and reflecting strong journalistic standards.
Weaknesses
- In-Story Links: Only 18.4 percent of stories include in-story links, earning an "F" grade and falling short of digital engagement best practices.
- Community Coverage: Community-focused stories account for 15.3 percent, slightly above the state average (7.3 percent) but still a minority compared to campus coverage.
- Features Coverage: Features represent 11.7 percent of stories, below the state average of 24.1 percent, suggesting an opportunity to diversify content.
- Multimedia Content: Multimedia output (audio, video, gallery) is limited, with only three total multimedia stories, well below the state average of 12.2.
- Photo Galleries: The publication still publishes photo collections outside of a photo gallery widget.
Summary Statement
The publication covers campus well but recognizes the role of community in the lives of its readers. In addition to having the highest weekly average of stories, it ranks second in the number of days per week stories are posted. And it had the third most campus sports stories in the state.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Expand the use of in-story links to enhance digital engagement and reader experience.
- Increase feature stories to provide more in-depth and varied content.
- Boost multimedia production (audio, video, gallery) to align with state standards and modern journalism practices.
- Use a gallery widget when using three or more stories in a news story and avoid running long scrolls of photos.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Los Medanos Experience
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 148 stories over 15 adjusted weeks for Fall 2025, resulting in a weekly average of approximately 9.87 stories.
The current semester’s output is strong, with a higher total and weekly average than several recent terms, though slightly below the most productive semesters.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (65.5 percent)
Average per story = C (2.9)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (6.1 percent)
Average per story = C (3.7)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.1 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story count (n.148) is nearly double the state average (n.76.5), and the weekly average (n.9.9) is well above the state’s 5.4.
- Campus coverage is robust at 60.1 percent, showing consistent focus on campus issues.
- News stories make up 39.9 percent of content, close to the state average of 49.3 percent, indicating a solid news presence.
- Posting consistency is excellent, with an average of 4.1 days per week, earning an “A” grade and surpassing the state posting percentage (35.5 percent).
- The publication maintains a strong presence in features and sports, with 7.4 percent features and 16.9 percent sports, both competitive with state averages.
Weaknesses
- Source use is a concern, with 65.5 percent of stories earning a D, indicating a need for stronger sourcing practices.
- In-story links are underutilized, with only 6.1 percent of stories meeting expectations (F grade), suggesting limited integration of digital resources.
- The proportion of “neither” campus nor community stories is high (39.2 percent), exceeding the state average of 17.8 percent, which may dilute the publication’s focus.
- Multimedia output is limited, with only three multimedia stories, far below the state average of 12.2, indicating an area for significant growth.
Summary Statement
The Experience had a LOT of reviews which earned it the No. 1 spot in percentage devoted to opinion stories. About 15 percent of its overall content were reviews. It also had the fifth most stories and was fourth in weekly average.
Overall, the publication does a really solid job, putting out lots of stories on a regular basis. There’s still some room to step things up—like using more sources, adding cool digital features, getting more involved with the community, and making more multimedia content.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the use of credible sources in stories to raise source use grades.
- Integrate more in-story links to enhance digital engagement and information depth.
- Expand community coverage to better reflect and serve the broader audience.
- Reduce the proportion of stories that do not clearly serve campus or community interests.
- Invest in multimedia content creation to align with state standards and audience expectations.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Moorpark Reporter
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The Moorpark Reporter did not have an online publication for the fall semester.
Sources grades
Pct of stories with sources = F (none)
Average sources per story = F (none)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories with links = F (none)
Average links per story = F (none)
Posting grades
Days per week = F (none)
Strengths
- It is difficult to analyze the publication’s strengths with no stories for the semester.
Weaknesses
- It is difficult to analyze the publication’s weaknesses with no stories for the semester.
Summary
It is unfortunate that the Moorpark Reporter has been forced into dormancy.
Recommendations for improvement
- The obvious recommendation for improvement is to bring the publication back to life, preferably as a production course. But even as a club or extracurricular activity it would be a benefit for the college.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Mt. San Antonio SacMedia
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 90 stories over 16 adjusted weeks for Fall 2025. This output is notably higher than the state average of 76.5 stories and a weekly average of 5.6 stories, compared to the state’s 5.4.
Compared to previous semesters, this is an increase from Spring 2025 (68 stories, 15 weeks) and Fall 2024 (51 stories, 13 weeks), indicating a positive trend in productivity.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (73.3 percent)
Average per story = A (3.7)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (48.9 percent)
Average per story = B (6.4)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.8 days)
Strengths:
- The publication’s total story count and weekly average both exceed state averages, reflecting strong productivity and consistent output.
- Campus coverage is robust at 65.6 percent, well above the state average of 69.6 percent, showing a strong focus on campus-related content.
- Feature stories make up 32.2 percent of output, surpassing the state average of 24.1 percent, highlighting a strength in in-depth or human-interest reporting.
- The publication’s posting percentage (53.6 percent) is significantly higher than the state average (35.5 percent), indicating regular and reliable publishing habits.
- Multimedia output, especially video (n.15), is well above the state average (4.2), demonstrating a commitment to diverse storytelling formats.
Weaknesses:
- Community coverage is at 13.3 percent, which is above the state average (7.3 percent) but still leaves room for further engagement with local issues.
- Sports stories account for 16.7 percent of output, just above the state average (15.0 percent), but there is potential to further expand this section.
- Opinion stories are at 8.9 percent, below the state average (11.5 percent), suggesting an opportunity to encourage more editorial and commentary content, especially in campus issues.
- The percentage of stories with in-story links (48.9 percent) is just below the state average (49.3 percent), indicating a need for more consistent integration of links.
Summary Statement
SacMedia had a large number of video interviews this semester with athlete/coach interviews at athletic events leading the way. The publication showed a preference for CosPlay stories, too. Unlike semesters when it regularly posted stories exactly at 8 a.m., this semester SacMedia published four out five stories in the evening hours. Stories had a healthy 3.7 sources average.
The publication demonstrates strong productivity, consistent posting, and a commitment to feature and multimedia content. While the publication excels in several key areas, there are opportunities to further strengthen community coverage, opinion writing, and multimedia diversity.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the proportion of opinion stories to better reflect diverse viewpoints.
- Expand gallery and other multimedia content to enhance visual storytelling. Videos show a high percentage of TV-style interviews. Consider running more scripted video stories.
- Continue to build on strengths in feature reporting and video production.
- Encourage the use of in-story links to improve reader navigation and resource integration.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI
• • • • •
Mt. San Jacinto – The Talon
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
For Fall 2025, The Talon published 33 stories over 14 adjusted weeks, averaging 2.36 stories per week.
The Talon's output this semester is below the state average of 76.5 stories and 5.4 stories per week. Recent semesters show a downward trend in both total stories and weekly average, indicating a need for renewed focus on story production.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (87.9 percent)
Average per story = B (3.0)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (51.5 percent)
Average per story = C (3.4)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.1 days)
Strengths
- The publication excels in feature stories, with 45.5 percent of content in this category, surpassing the state average of 24.1 percent.
- Campus coverage is strong at 51.5 percent, well above the state average of 35.5 percent.
- In-story links are a notable strength, with 51.5 percent of stories including them, earning an "A" grade and exceeding typical benchmarks.
- Source use is robust, with 87.9 percent of stories meeting the "B" grade threshold, indicating consistent citation and reference practices.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories and weekly average are below state averages and have declined compared to previous semesters.
- Community coverage is 18.2 percent, slightly above the state average of 7.3 percent, but still leaves room for deeper engagement.
- Sports coverage is 9.1 percent, below the state average of 15.0 percent, suggesting an opportunity to expand reporting in this area.
- Posting frequency is low, with only 2.1 days per week, earning a "C" grade and falling short of the state average of 5.4 weekly stories.
- Multimedia content is limited, with only one video story and no audio, gallery, or other multimedia formats, compared to state averages.
Summary Statement
The Talon ranked fourth in percentage use of feature stories and eighth in use of non-campus/non-community-based stories.
The publication demonstrates faces challenges in overall story output, sports coverage, posting frequency, and multimedia diversity.
At times the publication leans toward literary magazine content.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase overall story production to meet or exceed state averages and reverse the downward trend seen in recent semesters.
- Enhance sports and multimedia coverage to provide a more comprehensive and engaging publication.
- Boost posting frequency to improve audience engagement and maintain a consistent presence.
- Continue leveraging strong source use and in-story links to uphold journalistic standards.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Orange Coast Report
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 132 stories over 14 adjusted weeks, resulting in a weekly average of 9.4 stories. This is significantly above the state average of 76.5 stories and a 5.4 weekly story average.
Compared to previous semesters, the Fa25 output is higher than Fa24 and Sp24, showing a strong and consistent performance.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (87.1 percent)
Average per story = B (3.3)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (45.5 percent)
Average per story = B (4.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.1 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story output and weekly average are well above state averages, demonstrating strong productivity and engagement.
- Campus coverage is exceptionally high at 91.7 percent, compared to the state average of 69.6 percent, indicating a strong focus on campus-related content.
- The proportion of news stories (42.4 percent) and sports stories (34.8 percent) is robust, with sports coverage notably exceeding the state average of 15.0 percent.
- The posting percentage (59.2 percent) is significantly higher than the state average of 35.5 percent, reflecting consistent and frequent publishing.
- Multimedia output, especially in the gallery category (n.63), far surpasses the state average, highlighting a commitment to visual storytelling.
Weaknesses
- Community coverage is 4.5 percent, below the state average of 7.3 percent, suggesting an opportunity to expand reporting beyond campus.
- The proportion of feature stories (17.4 percent) is lower than the state average of 24.1 percent, indicating a potential area for growth in in-depth or human-interest content.
- Opinion stories make up 5.3 percent of the total, which is less than half the state average of 11.5 percent, suggesting limited diversity in editorial perspectives.
Summary Statement
The Coast Report ranked No. 1 in both numbers of campus sports stories and percent of overall content devoted to campus sports. It was second highest in all sports coverage. Because of a high use of photo galleries, it ranked third in use of multimedia and had the sixth highest weekly average.
Orange Coast Report stands out for its high story output, strong campus and sports coverage, and exceptional multimedia production. Although the publication demonstrates strong performance in multiple areas, it can further enhance its impact by expanding community reporting, offering more feature and opinion pieces, incorporating a wider range of multimedia formats, and covering more campus governance groups.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase community-focused reporting to better reflect the broader audience.
- Expand feature and opinion sections to provide more in-depth analysis and diverse viewpoints.
- Continue leveraging strengths in campus and sports coverage while seeking balance across all content categories.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Palomar Coast Report
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced a strong volume of stories this semester, with notable consistency in posting frequency. Compared to previous semesters, the number of adjusted weeks and overall story output reflects steady engagement, though some areas show room for improvement.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = F (59.7 percent)
Average per story = B (3.3)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (42.9 percent)
Average per story = D (2.8)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.1 days)
Strengths
- High posting frequency demonstrates strong operational discipline.
- Multimedia output (video, galleries) surpasses state averages, enhancing engagement.
- News and feature distribution reflects a healthy editorial mix.
- Campus governance stories (n.3.1) show attention to institutional issues.
- Sports coverage remains robust compared to peers.
Weaknesses
- Source use percentage (59.7 percent) falls significantly below expectations, earning an F grade.
- In-story link average (3.0) suggests opportunities for deeper integration of references.
- Campus opinion stories (3.0) are underrepresented relative to state averages.
- Community coverage (7.3 percent) remains low, reducing broader audience reach.
Summary Statement
The Telescope ranked first in use of campus governance stories for the semester and tied for fourth in numbers of campus opinion stories. It had a strong posting consistency at 4.1 days per week, earning an A grade, and ranked fourth in the number of actual stories. Multimedia presence is commendable, with 12.2 total multimedia stories, ranking eighth highest the state average.
Overall, the publication demonstrates strong consistency in posting and multimedia engagement but needs improvement in source use, link integration, and expanding community and audio coverage.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase source use across stories to strengthen credibility.
- Enhance in-story link integration for better reader navigation and context.
- Boost community coverage to broaden readership and relevance.
- Develop strategies to raise campus opinion contributions for balanced perspectives.
- Excellent coverage of your board of trustees, now boost campus governance coverage by attending student government and faculty senate meetings on a regular basis.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Pasadena Courier
For the Fall 2025 semester, Pasadena Courier published a total of 147 stories over 15 adjusted weeks, resulting in a weekly average of 9.8 stories. This output is well above the state average of 76.5 stories and a weekly average of 5.4 stories.
Compared to previous semesters, Spring 2025 saw a significant increase with 271 stories over 23 weeks while Fall 2024 had 227 stories over 16 weeks. The publication’s current output is strong, though slightly lower than some previous semesters, indicating a consistent commitment to content production.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A (91.5 percent)
Average per story = A (3.0)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (45.5 percent)
Average per story = C (3.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.4 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story output (n.147) far exceeds the state average, demonstrating robust productivity.
- Campus coverage is strong at 56.5 percent, showing a solid focus on campus-related content.
- News stories make up 35.4 percent of content, which, while below the state average (49.3 percent), still represents a substantial portion of coverage.
- Feature stories account for 21.1 percent, nearly matching the state average (24.1 percent), indicating balanced attention to in-depth reporting.
- The publication maintains a consistent weekly posting average, supporting regular engagement with its audience.
Weaknesses
- The percentage of community stories (10.9 percent) is slightly above the state average (7.3 percent), but there is room for further growth to better serve the broader community.
- Opinion stories (24.5 percent) are higher than the state average (11.5 percent), which may indicate an imbalance in content type. Editorials focus on national situations rather than addressing campus or community issues
- Sports coverage (19.0 percent) is above the state average (15.0 percent), but the absolute number of campus sports stories (12.1 state average) is not specified, suggesting a potential area for improvement.
- Posting percentage (20.0 percent) is below the state average (35.5 percent), indicating less frequent posting relative to the number of available days.
- Multimedia content is minimal, with no audio, video, or gallery stories reported, falling short of the state averages for these categories.
Summary Statement
The Courier has a strong variety of stories but clearly is a print-centric publication as it had 12 excessive-post days, averaging 10.2 stories each time. Many of these followed excessive gaps as the publication had nine of them, each averaging just six days. It earned a D in days per week posts are made. The Courier, more than anyone else, attacked Trump Administration policies in its editorials without localizing the issues. It ranked seventh overall in percentage of opinion stories. It ranked sixth in overall stories and fifth in weekly averages.
The publication demonstrates strong story output and consistent engagement, with notable strengths in campus and feature coverage. However, there are opportunities to improve posting frequency, diversify content types, and expand multimedia offerings to better align with state averages and audience expectations.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase posting frequency to raise the posting percentage closer to the state average.
- Spread story posts out throughout the week rather than moving a lot of stories over after the print edition is out.
- Expand multimedia content, including audio, video, and gallery stories, to enhance audience engagement.
- Balance content types by moderating opinion coverage and increasing news and sports stories.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Pierce The Roundup
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication delivered 114 stories of 17 weeks. Compared to previous semesters, output remained steady, but pacing could improve to maximize engagement.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (83.8 percent)
Average per story = A (3.5)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = D (22.2 percent)
Average per story = B (4.3)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.8 days)
Strengths
- The publication consistently integrates sources, earning high marks for credibility.
- Balanced coverage across news and features, maintaining diversity in story types.
- Campus governance stories exceeded state averages, showing depth in institutional reporting.
- Sports coverage remains robust, aligning with audience interests.
Weaknesses
- Posting frequency is low, reducing visibility and timeliness of content. Nearly three-quarters of stories were posted online three or more days after they were created, suggesting that print has priority over online.
- In-story link usage is significantly below state standards, limiting reader engagement.
- Community coverage is limited, which narrows reach beyond campus.
Summary Statement
The Roundup ranked first in the number of campus opinion stories and fourth in percent of stories devoted to campus opinion. It is the only publication in the state to regularly run pro-con opinion articles, though many are not fully localized to campus. This semester it chose to run both the pro and the con article in the same post; this certainly ties them into a package for the reader, but the publication could consider running them separately and include links to the companion posts.
Overall, publication demonstrates strong sourcing and multimedia integration but should focus on improving posting consistency, link usage, and expanding coverage areas to better align with state norms.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase posting frequency to at least three days per week for stronger audience engagement.
- Enhance in-story link integration to improve navigation and reader experience.
- Expand community and opinion coverage to diversify content and broaden reach.
- Develop audio storytelling initiatives to complement existing multimedia strengths.
- Monitor weekly pacing to maintain steady output across the semester.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Rio Hondo el Paisano
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced a solid number of stories this semester, but the adjusted weekly average shows room for improvement compared to previous semesters. While output remains consistent, the pace of posting could be more frequent to align with state averages.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (86.4 percent)
Average per story = D (1.8)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (4.5 percent)
Average per story = F (1.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.1 days)
Strengths
- High source use percentage: The publication demonstrates strong sourcing practices, exceeding state expectations for credibility.
- Campus coverage focus: A significant portion of stories centers on campus topics, reinforcing relevance for the primary audience.
- Balanced story types: News and features appear well-represented, showing diversity in content.
- Sports coverage presence: Campus sports stories contribute to community engagement and student interest.
Weaknesses
- Low posting frequency: At 1.1 days per week, the publication falls short of maintaining a consistent publishing rhythm.
- Minimal in-story links: Linking practices are significantly underdeveloped, limiting reader navigation and engagement.
- Limited multimedia output: Despite some effort, totals remain far below state averages, reducing interactive appeal.
- Underperformance in opinion content: Opinion pieces are sparse, missing opportunities for diverse perspectives.
- Governance coverage gaps: Campus governance stories are notably low, leaving an important area underrepresented.
Summary Statement
El Paisano came out of mothballs this semester with a new look. More than a quarter of its stories are community based, and it ranked fourth in community-based stories.
Overall, Rio Hondo el Paisano shows strong sourcing and campus-focused coverage but needs improvement in posting consistency, multimedia integration, and link usage to meet or exceed state benchmarks.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase posting frequency to at least 3 days per week for better audience engagement.
- Enhance in-story linking to improve navigation and reader experience.
- Expand multimedia efforts—especially video and galleries—to approach state averages.
- Develop more opinion and governance stories to provide broader coverage. Target student government or trustees and then expand to covering faculty senate on a regular basis. Don’t be a stranger at meetings.
- Continue leveraging campus-focused content while diversifying into community topics.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Riverside Viewpoints
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 107 stories over 18 adjusted weeks for the Fall 2025 semester. This output is notably above the state average of 76.5 stories and a weekly average of 5.94, compared to the state’s 5.4.
When compared to previous semesters, the total story count and weekly average are both higher than Spring 2025 and Fall 2024, indicating consistent or improved productivity.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (84.1 percent)
Average per story = B (3.0)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (44.9 percent)
Average per story = B (4.1)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.0 days)
Strengths
- The publication’s total story output and weekly average are well above state averages, reflecting strong productivity and consistent publishing.
- Campus coverage is 67.3 percent, nearly matching the state average (69.6 percent), showing a solid focus on campus-related content.
- News stories make up 44.9 percent of the total, closely aligning with the state average (49.3 percent), indicating balanced news coverage.
- The posting percentage is 57.1 percent, significantly higher than the state average of 35.5 percent, demonstrating regular and reliable publishing.
- The publication’s “days per week” posting grade of A (4.0 days) highlights a steady publishing rhythm.
Weaknesses
- Community coverage is 14.9 percent, which, while above the state average (7.3 percent), still leaves room for broader engagement with off-campus topics.
- Feature stories account for 13.1 percent, below the state average of 24.1 percent, suggesting an opportunity to expand in-depth or human-interest reporting.
- Sports stories make up 25.2 percent, slightly above the state average (15.0 percent), but the publication may want to ensure this does not overshadow other categories.
- The percentage of stories with in-story links (44.9 percent) is below half, indicating a need to enhance digital engagement and resource integration.
Summary Statement
The Viewpoints, long a leader in campus sports reporting, dropped to 11th this semester with 22.4 percent being devoted to campus sports. Its 24 campus sports stories tied for 10th most. But it picked up on campus governance stories and this semester ranked third in the number of stories.
This publication is really productive, posts regularly, and covers campus life well—it’s doing better than the state average in a bunch of important ways. However, there are opportunities to diversify content, especially in features and multimedia, and to further strengthen digital engagement through in-story links.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the number of feature stories to provide more in-depth and varied content.
- Expand multimedia offerings to better match or exceed state averages.
- Enhance the use of in-story links to improve digital engagement and resourcefulness.
- Continue to monitor the balance of coverage across categories to ensure a well-rounded publication.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Sacramento Express
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced a solid number of stories this semester, but the adjusted weekly average shows room for improvement compared to previous semesters. While overall output is steady, the pace of posting could be more consistent to match state averages.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = F (57.4 percent)
Average per story = C (2.3)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (42.6 percent)
Average per story = D (2.9)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.3 days)
Strengths
- Strong in-story link usage: The publication earned a B for percentage of stories with links, showing good integration of references within content.
- Consistent multimedia presence: Video and gallery stories are present, which enhances engagement compared to text-only formats.
- Balanced coverage: Features and sports sections are well represented, aligning with diverse reader interests.
- Campus focus maintained: A significant portion of stories center on campus topics, supporting relevance for the primary audience.
- Effort in governance coverage: Campus governance stories are included, which adds depth to institutional reporting.
Weaknesses
- Source use is critically low: Only 5.4 percent of stories include sources, far below expectations and state averages.
- Posting frequency needs improvement: At 2.3 days per week, consistency lags behind the state posting percentage of 35.5 percent.
- Opinion coverage is underrepresented: Opinion pieces are fewer than state averages, limiting diversity of perspectives.
- Multimedia totals below benchmark: While present, overall multimedia output does not meet state averages of 12.2 items.
- Campus governance is all but non-existent.
Summary Statement
The Express relies heavily on feature stories and ranked fifth with 42.6 percent of overall content being features.
The publication demonstrates strengths in link integration and coverage diversity but falls short in source use and posting consistency. Multimedia efforts are commendable but need expansion to meet state standards.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase source use across stories to improve credibility and meet academic standards.
- Boost posting frequency to at least three days per week for better audience engagement.
- Strengthen opinion coverage to provide a broader range of viewpoints.
- Continue leveraging strong link integration while improving average links per story.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Saddleback – The Lariat
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 67 stories over 15 adjusted weeks this semester, resulting in a weekly average of 4.47 stories. This is slightly below the state average of 76.5 stories and 5.4 weekly stories.
Compared to previous semesters, the output is consistent with Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. The weekly average this semester is higher than Spring 2024 (3.8) and Fall 2023 (2.1), indicating a rebound in productivity.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (67.2 percent)
Average per story = C (2.5)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = D (29.9 percent)
Average per story = B (4.6)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.3 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a steady weekly output, with a weekly average that is competitive with recent semesters and not far below the state average.
- Feature stories represent a significant portion (37.3 percent), exceeding the state average of 24.1 percent, highlighting a strong focus on in-depth reporting.
- The proportion of stories categorized as "Neither" (40.3 percent) is higher than the state average (17.8 percent), suggesting coverage that extends beyond campus and community topics.
- Video content is present (four stories), aligning with the state average for multimedia video stories (4.2).
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories (n.67) is below the state average (n.76.5), suggesting room for increased output.
- Campus coverage (38.8 percent) is significantly below the state average (69.6 percent), indicating a need for more campus-focused reporting.
- Community coverage (20.9 percent) is above the state average (7.3 percent) but may be at the expense of campus stories.
- News stories (31.3 percent) fall short of the state average (49.3 percent), which could impact the publication’s relevance for timely campus updates.
- Posting percentage (55.5 percent) is above the state average (35.5 percent), but the days per week (n.2.3) are below the ideal, suggesting posts are clustered rather than evenly distributed.
Summary Statement
The Lariat relied heavily on non-campus stories and more than half were not localized to campus. The publication ranked fourth in percentage of non-campus/non-community stories and eighth in community-based stories while having one of the lowest campus-related percentages.
The publication demonstrates strengths in feature reporting, multimedia integration, and consistent output, but should focus on increasing campus and news coverage to better align with state standards and audience expectations.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the number of campus-focused stories to better reflect the interests and needs of the primary audience.
- Boost news coverage to provide more timely and relevant updates.
- Strive for a more even distribution of posts throughout the week to maximize engagement.
- Continue to expand multimedia offerings, especially in audio and gallery formats, to match or exceed state averages.
- Monitor story categories to ensure balanced coverage and identify areas for growth.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
San Diego City – The City Times
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
San Diego City produced 84 stories over 17 adjusted weeks for the Fa25 semester. This output is slightly above the state average of 76.5 stories and aligns closely with the state’s average of 5.4 stories per week, with achieving a weekly average of 4.94.
Compared to previous semesters, the total number of stories is lower than Sp25 and Fa24, but higher than Fa23 and Fa22. The adjusted weeks have remained consistent at 17 for most recent semesters, indicating stable publishing cycles.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (69.0 percent)
Average per story = C (2.6)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (95.2 percent)
Average per story = B (5.6)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.9 days)
Strengths
- The City Times consistently exceeds the state average in total stories produced, demonstrating strong overall output.
- The publication’s campus coverage is exceptionally high at 91.7 percent, well above the state average of 69.6 percent, reflecting a strong focus on campus-related news and features.
- In-story links are a major strength, with 95.2 percent of stories including links (grade A), and an average of 5.6 links per story (grade B), indicating robust digital engagement.
- The posting percentage is 55.5 percent, significantly higher than the state average of 35.5 percent, showing consistent and frequent publishing.
- Multimedia output, particularly in video (n.28) and gallery (n.4) content, is strong compared to state averages, enhancing the publication’s digital presence.
Weaknesses
- The weekly story average (n.4.9) is slightly below the state average (n.5.4), suggesting room for increased frequency.
- Community coverage is at 7.1 percent, just below the state average of 7.3 percent, indicating a potential area for broader outreach.
- Sports coverage (14.3 percent) is just below the state average (15.0 percent), and the number of campus sports stories (n.12) matches the state average, suggesting an opportunity to expand in this area.
- The average source use per story (n.2.6, grade C) and the percentage of stories with sources (69.0 percent, grade D) indicate a need for stronger sourcing practices.
Summary Statement
The City Times focuses on campus stories and had the highest percentage of the overall total devoted to campus-localized stories. It was third highest in percentage of news stories of all localizations and fourth in campus news.
Overall, the publication demonstrates strong campus engagement, high digital integration, and consistent publishing. While the publication excels in several key areas, there are opportunities to increase story frequency, diversify coverage, and strengthen sourcing.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase the number of stories per week to meet or exceed the state average.
- Expand community category coverage to enhance content diversity.
- Strengthen sourcing practices to improve source use grades.
- Continue to build on multimedia strengths, especially in underrepresented formats.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
San Diego Mesa – The Mesa Press
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 33 stories over 14 adjusted weeks for Fall 2025, resulting in a weekly average of 2.36 stories.
The current semester’s output is below the state average of 76.5 stories and 5.4 stories per week, and lower than most previous semesters except Spring 2024 and Fall 2022.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (66.7 percent)
Average per story = C (2.2)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (18.2 percent)
Average per story = D (2.3)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.8 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a strong campus focus, with 78.8 percent of stories related to campus topics, well above the state average of 69.6 percent.
- News coverage (39.4 percent) is close to the state average (49.3 percent), showing a solid commitment to core reporting.
- The publication posts consistently throughout the week, with stories appearing every weekday, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Afternoon and evening posting times are well utilized, with 48.5 percent of stories posted in the afternoon and 36.4 percent in the evening, maximizing audience reach.
Weaknesses
- The total number of stories and weekly average are well below both the state average and most previous semesters, indicating a need for increased output.
- The percentage of stories with in-story links is very low (18.2 percent), and the average per story is also below expectations, suggesting limited digital engagement.
- The percentage of stories using sources is at a D grade (66.7 percent), and the average sources per story is only C (2.2), both below best practices.
- Multimedia content is absent, with zero audio, video, or gallery stories, while the state average is 12.2 total multimedia stories.
- Campus governance coverage is non-existent.
Summary Statement
The Mesa Press had the highest percentage of stories in the state dedicated to sports and third in campus sports.
The publication demonstrates a strong campus focus and consistent posting schedule but falls short in overall story output, multimedia content, and digital engagement compared to state averages and most previous semesters. Source use and in-story links also need significant improvement.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase overall story output to approach or exceed the state average and previous high-performing semesters.
- Expand multimedia offerings to align with state standards and enhance audience engagement.
- Improve the use of sources and in-story links to raise the quality and credibility of reporting.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
San Francisco Guardsman
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
For the Fa25 semester, the publication produced 76 stories over 17 adjusted weeks, resulting in a weekly average of approximately 4.47 stories.
This output is slightly higher than the previous Sp25 semester and notably above Fa24 The Fa25 semester demonstrates a consistent and robust story output, maintaining or exceeding previous performance levels.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (72.4 percent)
Average per story = C (2.6)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = B (46.1 percent)
Average per story = B (4.7)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.2 days)
Strengths
- The publication maintains a strong campus focus, with 82.9 percent of stories centered on campus topics, well above the state average of 69.6 percent.
- Feature stories make up 27.6 percent of the total, surpassing the state average of 24.1 percent, indicating a commitment to in-depth coverage.
- The weekly story average (n.4.5) is competitive and shows improvement over several previous semesters.
- In-story links are present in nearly half of all stories, earning a B grade and supporting reader engagement.
- The publication’s output in sports (14.5 percent) is close to the state average (15.0 percent), reflecting balanced coverage in this area.
Weaknesses
- Posting frequency is low, with only 1.2 days per week of activity, resulting in a D grade and suggesting inconsistent publishing habits.
- Community coverage (13.2 percent) is below the state average (7.3 percent), indicating an opportunity to expand outreach.
- The percentage of stories with source use (72.4 percent) is at a C grade, showing room for improvement in sourcing.
- Multimedia content is absent this semester, falling short of the state average.
- Campus governance stories (n.4) are above the state average (3.1), suggesting coverage of institutional decision-making.
Summary Statement
The Guardsman has excellent content that covers both campus and community, but the publication continues to operate with a print-centric mode. For the first part of the semester stories were held on to after being created before they were released online; this improved by the end of the semester, but about a quarter of stories were posted later than they should have been. It still feels as though the publication works on a print first/online second policy.
The publication would benefit from more consistent posting, increased multimedia integration, and broader community engagement.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase posting frequency to improve consistency and audience engagement.
- Enhance source use in stories to raise the overall grade and credibility.
- Integrate multimedia elements to align with state standards and enrich storytelling.
- Expand coverage of community topics and campus governance to provide a more comprehensive view.
- Continue to build on strengths in feature writing and in-story linking for deeper reader connection.
- Improve campus governance coverage by covering the student government and faculty senate on a regular basis in addition to your excellent board of trustee coverage.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
San Joaquin Delta Collegian
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The Collegian published 126 stories over 16 weeks.
It produced a strong volume of stories this semester, though there are notable areas for improvement. Compared to previous semesters, output remains consistent, but the adjusted weekly average shows slight fluctuation that warrants attention.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A (92.1 percent)
Average per story = A (3.4)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (19.8 percent)
Average per story = D (3.1)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.4 days)
Strengths
- High source quality and consistency across stories.
- Solid representation of campus-related topics, maintaining audience focus.
- Balanced mix of news and features, supporting comprehensive coverage.
- Efforts in multimedia integration, particularly video and galleries.
- Sustained overall story volume compared to previous semesters.
Weaknesses
- Posting frequency is low at 1.3 days per week, limiting audience engagement.
- In-story link usage is significantly below expectations, reducing interactivity.
- Sports and opinion coverage could be more robust to match state practices.
- Limited growth in community coverage, leaving room for expansion beyond campus.
Summary Statement
The publication excels in source use, with an impressive 92.1 percent of stories meeting high standards and an average of 3.4 sources per story. It tied for ninth in total stories and ranked ninth in number of campus governance stories.
The Collegian excels in maintaining reliable sourcing and a steady flow of published stories. However, to further enhance its impact and better engage its audience, it should focus on posting more frequently, incorporating more in-story links, and diversifying its multimedia content.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase posting frequency to at least three days per week to maintain visibility.
- Enhance in-story link usage to improve reader navigation and engagement.
- Expand audio and other multimedia offerings to align with evolving digital standards.
- Strengthen sports and opinion coverage to provide a more balanced content mix.
- Explore opportunities for greater community coverage to broaden reach.
- Expand campus governance coverage beyond just the board of trustees. Attend and cover student government and faculty senate meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
San Jose City Times
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
The publication produced 24 total stories over 12 adjusted weeks in Fa25, resulting in a weekly average of two stories per week. This output is lower than the state average of 76.5 stories and 5.4 stories per week.
The Fa25 output is consistent with recent semesters but below the highest output seen in Sp23 and Fa23.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (87.5 percent)
Average per story = B (3.1)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (19.8 percent)
Average per story = D (1.9)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.3 days)
Strengths
- Strong campus focus: 83.3 percent of stories are campus-related, well above the state average of 69.6 percent. This demonstrates the publication’s commitment to covering campus issues.
- Feature coverage: 33.3 percent of stories are features, exceeding the state average of 24.1 percent. The publication excels in producing in-depth feature content.
- Source use: With a B grade for source use, the publication demonstrates strong sourcing practices in its stories.
Weaknesses
- Low total output: The total number of stories (n.24) is significantly below the state average (76.5), indicating room for increased productivity.
- Posting frequency: The average of 1.3 posting days per week is below the state posting percentage (35.5 percent), suggesting inconsistent publishing schedules.
- In-story links: Only 19.8 percent of stories include in-story links, earning an F grade, and the average per story is D (1.9), highlighting a need for better digital engagement.
- Sports and opinion coverage: Sports (8.3 percent) and opinion (20.8 percent) are below state averages, indicating areas for potential growth.
- Campus governance: Campus governance coverage is non-existent.
Summary Statement
The San Jose City Times demonstrates strengths in campus and feature coverage, consistent weekly output, and source use. However, the publication lags behind state averages in total output, posting frequency, in-story links, and community coverage. Addressing these weaknesses can help the publication better meet state standards and serve its audience.
Recommendations for Improvement
- Increase overall story output to approach state averages.
- Improve posting frequency for a more consistent publishing schedule.
- Enhance digital engagement by increasing the use of in-story links.
- Expand coverage to include more community and sports stories.
- Continue leveraging strengths in campus and feature reporting while exploring new multimedia formats.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Santa Ana el Don
Total Stories and Adjusted Weeks
Santa Ana el Don published 75 stories over 15 adjusted weeks Its weekly story average was 5.0.
Output rose vs. Sp 25 and is slightly higher than Fa 24.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (77.6 percent)
Average per story = C (2.8)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = D (29.2 percent)
Average per story = C (3.8)
Posting grade
Days per week = C (2.0 days)
Strengths
- High sports and features mix: Sports account for 30.7 percent and features 24.0 percent, both above state averages, giving el Don strong coverage breadth beyond hard news.
- Improved production vs. recent terms: The publication increased from Sp 25 and surpassed Fa 24, demonstrating operational resilience and stronger planning.
- Balanced opinion presence: Opinion at 17.3 percent exceeds the state average (11.5 percent), suggesting the publication cultivates distinctive voices and perspective content.
Weaknesses
- News share well below state: News stands at 28.0 percent vs the state average of 49.3 percent; compared with Fa 24 (55.1 percent), el Don shifted away from core news in Fa 25. The publication may be under-serving timely information needs.
- Campus focus below benchmark: Campus coverage is 62.7 percent, trailing the state average (69.6 percent) and Fa 24 (69.6 percent), suggesting the publication could reconnect more directly with on-campus priorities.
- Multimedia underperformance: The publication posted zero audio, two video, one gallery, and four other multimedia stories versus state averages (0.6 audio, 4.2 video, 6.7 gallery, 0.64 other; 12.2 total). This gap limits format diversity and audience engagement.
- Weekend presence light: Weekend outputs are minimal, leaving potential audience windows untapped and weakening continuity in coverage.
- In-story linking and source use grades: With D for link coverage and C for source use, the publication’s verification and connective reporting signals need attention to strengthen credibility and usefulness.
- Campus governance: Campus governance coverage is non-existent.
Summary
El Don includes a good mix of campus and community stories and ranked ninth in percentage devoted to community news. It also ranked fourth in percentage devoted to campus sports.
The publication delivered 75 stories over 15 weeks (n.5.0/week), outperforming recent semesters and showcasing robust sports, features, and opinion coverage. Strengthening source and linking practices will further elevate credibility and reader utility.
Recommendations
- Rebalance toward campus news: Set weekly targets to lift news to ~40–45 percent while keeping strengths in sports/features; emphasize campus decisions, services, and student life with quick-turn updates and follow-ups.
- Boost multimedia volume and variety: Aim for at least one to two videos or one gallery per week, plus occasional audio explainers tied to major campus stories to approach state norms.
· Include campus governance coverage: Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Santa Barbara Channels
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The publication posted 109 total stories across 13 adjusted weeks, for a weekly average of 8.38, which is well above the state weekly average of 5.4 and the state total stories average of 76.5.
Compared with previous semesters, the weekly average is lower than Sp25 and Fa24.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (71.6 percent)
Average per story = C (2.6)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (85.3 percent)
Average per story = B (4.1)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.3 days)
Strengths
- High productivity: The Channels produced 109 stories and averaged 8.38 per week, outperforming state standards
- Campus-first coverage: 79.8 percent campus vs. 69.6 percent state, underscoring the publication’s strong focus on its core audience.
- Camps Governance depth: 21 campus governance stories (trustees, student, faculty, admin) vs a 3.1 state average—clear strength in civic accountability reporting.
- Multimedia output: 24 total multimedia items—with 17 galleries and 5 videos—substantially above state averages (12.2 total; 6.7 galleries; 4.2 videos).
Weaknesses
- Features under index: 16.5 percent features vs 24.1 percent state, and below prior highs.
- Weekly pace vs historical: The current 8.38 weekly average trails most recent terms, suggesting capacity or workflow constraints relative to past performance.
- Community coverage headroom: 13.8 percent community beats the 7.3 percent state average but sits below Sp25 (17.6 percent); room to grow beyond campus.
Summary
The Channels ranked second in use of campus governance stories and was ninth overall in percentage of news stories over other genres.
The publication delivers high volume, campus-centric coverage with a reliable posting rhythm and strong multimedia performance (especially galleries and video). Key growth opportunities include reinvigorating features, piloting audio, expanding community reporting, and boosting evening publishing to reach different audience segments.
Recommendations for improvement
- Commit to feature development: Plan two to three feature story slots per week (profiles, solutions pieces, long-form explainers) to move toward the 24.1 percent state benchmark and recover past momentum.
- Increase community reporting: Set a target near 15 to 18 percent community coverage with beat lists (local governance, housing, transit, environment) that connect campus to city issues.
- Leverage governance wins: Convert governance pieces into explainers and follow-ups that trace policy impacts over time, amplifying value and engagement.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Santa Monica Corsair
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The publication posted 126 total stories over 14 adjusted weeks, averaging 9.0 stories per week—well above the state weekly average of 5.4.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (73.0 percent)
Average per story = A (3.2)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = C (32.5 percent)
Average per story = C (3.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = A (4.4 days)
Strengths
- Campus focus: The publication’s campus share is 73.0 percent, outpacing the state average of 69.6 percent and generally consistent with recent semesters This sustained emphasis helps the publication serve its core audience.
- Sports coverage: Sports comprise 28.6 percent of stories, nearly double the state average of 15.0 percent and strong relative to many prior terms.
- Features presence: Features are 18.3 percent, close to the state average of 24.1 percent, and stronger than some earlier semesters.
- Weekly output: A 9.0 weekly average clearly exceeds the state’s 5.4 and shows robust productivity for the publication.
- Multimedia volume: The publication lists one audio, 16 video, 78 gallery, 5 other, total 100 multimedia items—far above state averages. This indicates strong visual storytelling capacity.
Weaknesses
- Opinion coverage: Opinion is 2.4 percent, well below the state average of 11.5 percent and below several prior semesters. The publication may be under-leveraging editorial voices.
- News balance vs. features: News sits at 50.8 percent, near the state’s 49.3 percent, but features trail the state average. Increasing enterprise/feature pieces could enhance depth.
- Community coverage: Community coverage is 15.9 percent, above the state 7.3 percent. Maintaining a consistent community beat with clear criteria could prevent dilution of campus focus.
- Posting consistency: A posting percentage of 62.2 percent is stronger than the state’s 35.5 percent, yet “days per week” is 3.2, leaving room to spread posts more evenly across the week to maximize audience touchpoints.
- Campus governance: Consistent coverage is weak.
Summary
The Corsair ranked first in use of multimedia, mostly through use of photo galleries. It was sixth in sports coverage and seventh in weekly story average. It tied for ninth in total stories.
The publication demonstrates high productivity, strong campus and sports emphasis, and exceptional multimedia output. Opportunities exist to grow opinion and features, sustain posting regularity, and fine‑tune the balance between campus and community priorities.
Recommendations for improvement
- Expand op-ed and columns to raise the opinion share toward the 11.5 percent state benchmark while preserving clarity of campus relevance.
- Maintain a campus‑first lens while setting clearer community story criteria to prevent overlap and sustain focus around student impact
- Use more sources in sports stories.
· Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Santa Rosa Oak Leaf
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The publication posted 97 total stories over 19 adjusted weeks, averaging 5.11 stories per week.
This semester’s volume is below the recent highs but above Fa23 and Fa22, with a moderate weekly pace relative to the last three years.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = B (82.5 percent)
Average per story = A (3.5)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = C (35.4 percent)
Average per story = D (2.9)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.2 days)
Strengths
- Robust multimedia, especially photo galleries, far exceeding state averages; a signature advantage for the publication’s visual storytelling.
- Elevated community coverage (17.5 percent vs. 7.3 percent state) expands reach beyond campus and diversifies story types.
- Sports emphasis and volume (21.6 percent vs. 15.0 percent state) positions Santa Rosa Oak Leaf as a local authority on athletics.
- Governance coverage present across trustees, senate, and administration, aligning closely with the state average.
Weaknesses
- News share trails the state (46.4 percent vs. 49.3 percent), risking thinner coverage of core campus and community developments.
- Opinion is underrepresented (8.2 percent vs. 11.5 percent), limiting editorial voice and perspectives.
- In-story link usage (C/D) suggests weaker internal/external linkage practices that can affect reader navigation and SEO.
- Source usage breadth (B overall) indicates room to push toward near-universal sourcing in stories.
Summary statement
The Oak Leaf is a solid news publication with a good mix of campus news and community features. It also ranked fifth in use of multimedia.
Opportunities remain to lift News and Opinion shares, raise campus-focused coverage slightly, and strengthen sourcing and link practices to enhance depth and usability.
Recommendations for improvement
- Increase News and Opinion stories to better match or exceed state proportions, prioritizing timely campus and student-life issues.
- Target a modest uptick in campus-focused stories to bring the campus share closer to—or above—the state average.
- Adopt a link usage standard (e.g., minimum internal/external links per story type) and train editors to audit links before publication.
- Push source coverage toward near-universal adoption, with checklists for named sources, data, and documents in every eligible piece.
- Leverage multimedia strengths (especially galleries) by pairing visual packages with companion News/Features articles for additional impact.
- While there is evidence of campus governance coverage, it is not consistent. Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
College of the Sequoias Campus Journal
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The College of Sequoias Campus Journal published 74 stories over 18 weeks. This was down a bit from each semester last school year. It has made good strides in recovering from a forced hiatus in Spring 2023.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = F (41.9 percent)
Average per story = D (1.7)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (12.2 percent)
Average per story = C (3.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.5 days)
Strengths
- Consistent publishing rhythm: The publication posts 3.5 days per week (B), indicating reliable output across the week.
- Moderate use of in‑story links when used: An average of 3.0 links per story (C) suggests that, when links are included, Campus Journal provides a reasonable level of context and references within articles.
- Strong campus feature coverage.
Weaknesses
- Low proportion of sourced stories: With only 41.9 percent of stories using sources (F), many articles likely lack corroboration or expert/contextual voices.
- Few sources per story: An average of 1.7 sources (D) suggests limited depth and triangulation in reporting. When sources are used only first names of students are included, often with no obvious reason why, defying journalistic standards.
- Limited link adoption across stories: Only 12.2 percent of stories include links (F), which may reduce transparency, context, and reader navigation.
- Link density is only average: Although the average is 3.0 links (C) when links are used, broader adoption across more stories would strengthen overall performance.
- Data gaps: Total stories and adjusted weeks were not available, limiting the ability to benchmark against state averages or to compare with prior semesters.
- Campus governance: With just one student government story for the semester campus governance coverage is practically non-existent.
Summary
The Campus Journal runs lots of campus feature stories and ranked sixth in the state in the use of features. A disturbing trend this semester was to refer to sources, usually student sources, by first name only, contrary to standard journalism practice.
The Campus Journal shows steady weekly publishing at 3.5 days, a helpful foundation for consistent coverage. However, the low percentage of sourced stories (41.9 percent) and limited link adoption (12.2 percent) indicate opportunities to strengthen verification, context, and transparency across the publication’s output.
Recommendations for improvement
- Raise source adoption: Set a baseline expectation that all reported pieces include named, verifiable sources, using full names and appropriate identifications; consider using a student’s major as an appropriate identification.
- Increase source depth: Aim for at least 2–3 sources per reported story to add perspective, corroboration, and fairness.
- Expand link inclusion: Add links to primary documents, prior coverage, and authoritative references in a much higher share of stories—target >50 percent of all stories as a near-term milestone.
- Cover campus governance groups: Consider covering campus governance groups on a regular basis, focusing on the board of trustees, student government, and faculty senate. Don’t be strangers at meetings.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Sierra Roundhouse
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The publication produced 10 stories across two adjusted weeks, yielding a strong weekly average of 5.0 stories for Fa25.
Overall, Fa25’s weekly productivity is among the stronger showings, with only Sp24’s compressed window yielding a higher weekly rate.
College policy restricts the Roundhouse as a regular newspaper, so the publication essentially reverts to a end-of-semester feature magazine.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = A+ (100 percent)
Average per story = A+ (5.4)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = A (90.0 percent)
Average per story = A (12.6)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.5 days)
Strengths
- Feature focus and clarity: All 10 stories are categorized as features (100 percent), signaling a clear editorial emphasis and likely depth in reporting and storytelling.
- Strong weekly output: A 5.0 stories/week average across two adjusted weeks indicates consistent production and newsroom efficiency in Fa25. Compared to prior terms this is notably stronger.
- Community coverage strength: 50 .0percent of stories are community‑focused (five of 10), substantially above the state average of 7.3 percent; this differentiates the publication’s local engagement.
- Multimedia presence: With six total multimedia stories (two with audio, three video, 1 gallery), the publication demonstrates multi‑format storytelling, exceeding the state average.
Weaknesses
- News, opinion, and sports are absent: Zero percent in news, opinion, and sports this term contrasts sharply with state averages, limiting topic diversity and utility for readers seeking timely updates or analysis. Even a magazine format publication can cover these genres with appropriate planning.
- Campus coverage below state norms: Campus‑focused stories are 20 percent (Two of 10), well under the state average of 69.6 percent, and there are zero campus opinion and zero campus sports stories versus state averages.
- Governance reporting non-existent: The campus governance total reflected is minimal, and below the state average (3.1). Strengthening trustees/student senate/faculty/admin coverage would improve civic literacy. Even a magazine format publication can cover these topics with appropriate planning.
Recommendations for improvement
- Elevate campus coverage - Set targets to reach 50–60 percent campus share next term, with specific assignments for student life, academics, and governance beats (trustees, senate, faculty, admin).
- Grow multimedia depth - Maintain strength in audio while increasing video explainers and gallery photo essays to approach state totals; set a goal of 10–12 multimedia pieces next term.
- Increase volume – Students appear to spend all semester creating just one story. Consider doubling that with one story to be completed in the first half of the semester and the other in the second half. This will help in story planning to include a variety of genres and localizations, even with a small staff.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The publication produced 120 total stories across 17 adjusted weeks, averaging 7.06 stories per week.
Compared with recent semesters, output and weekly average are up .
Posting percentage this term (57.1 percent) is higher than Spring 2025 (46.7 percent) and Fall 2024 (26.5 percent).
Source use grades
Pct of stories = D (62.5 percent)
Average per story = C (2.8)
In‑story links grades
Pct of stories = F (12.5 percent)
Average per story = C (3.3)
Posting grade
Days per week = B (3.8 days)
Strengths
- High overall productivity. The publication’s 120 stories and 7.06 weekly average exceed state averages (76.5 stories, 5.4 weekly average), reflecting strong reporting volume.
- Robust sports coverage. 23.3 percent sports vs the 15.0 percent state average indicates a well‑developed athletics beat that resonates with readers.
- Elevated opinion presence. 25.8 percent opinion vs 11.5 percent state suggests the publication offers a distinctive editorial voice and space for perspectives.
- Campus governance attention. Nine governance stories surpass the 3.1 state average, showing commitment to trustees, student senate, and administrative accountability.
- Features momentum. Features rose to 20.8 percent this term from 11.5 percent in Spring 2025, moving closer to the 24.1 percent state average.
Weaknesses
- News share trails the state: 30.0 percent news is below the 49.3 percent benchmark; the publication may be under‑weight on straight reporting.
- Community coverage is light: 5.8 percent community vs 7.3 percent state suggests limited off‑campus reporting; expandingexternal beats would strengthen reach.
- Higher “neither” share. 25.8 percent neither vs 17.8 percent state implies many stories aren’t clearly tied to campus or community; sharpening angles could help.
- Evening‑heavy posting. 48.3 percent of posts occur in the evening, with mornings at 5.0 percent—potentially missing daytime audiences.
- Multimedia mix gaps. Total multimedia (n.13) is near the 12.2 state average, but audio = zero vs. 0.6 and gallery = four vs 6.7 indicate room to diversify format types.
Summary
The Skyline View ranked fifth in percentage dedicated to opinion stories, though campus opinion could have been higher. It also ranked eighth in campus sports coverage.
The publication outperforms state averages on total output, weekly activity, sports, opinion, and campus governance. It lags state benchmarks on news share, community coverage, and clarity of focus (higher “neither”). Posting is concentrated in evenings, and multimedia strengths in video are offset by audio and gallery gaps. Overall, this is a strong semester with notable gains over recent terms, especially in features and posting consistency.
Recommendations for improvement
- Rebalance toward news. Target ~40–45 percent news to narrow the gap with the 49.3 percent benchmark while keeping a strong editorial voice.
- Expand community beats. Aim for 7.0 percent to 10.0 percent community by assigning recurring off‑campus beats (local governance, business, culture) and scheduling periodic field reporting.
- Reduce “neither” stories. Establish clearer campus or community angles during pitch review to move the “neither” share toward the ~18 percent state level.
- Broaden multimedia formats. Maintain strong video output while adding short‑form audio explainers and photo galleries to approach state norms.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co‑Pilot AI.
• • • • •
Southwestern The Sun
Total stories and adjusted weeks
The publication produced 22 stories across 5 adjusted weeks, for a weekly average of 4.4 stories. This is below the state weekly average of 5.4, but higher than the publication’s Sp 25 and Sp 24 weekly averages.
The publication posted one of the first stories of the semester in August and then went silent for the rest of the semester until December. Ironically, this represents a major improvement for the Sun, which has struggled in recent years to integrate the online edition into its regular production process.
Source use grades
Pct of stories = C (77.3 percent)
Average per story = B (3.1)
In-story links grades
Pct of stories = F (5.0 percent)
Average per story = A+ (8.0)
Posting grade
Days per week = D (1.6 days)
Strengths
- Balanced storytelling across Opinion, Sports, and Features (each ~22.7 percent) provides variety for readers and differentiates the publication from outlets that lean heavily on News.
- Campus coverage (68.2 percent) is well aligned with statewide emphasis, ensuring community relevance on campus.
- Community coverage (13.6 percent) exceeds the state average (7.3 percent), indicating meaningful engagement beyond campus.
- Weekly output (4.4) shows improvement over Sp 25 and Sp 24, suggesting stronger consistency this term.
Weaknesses
- News share (31.8 percent) trails the state’s 49.3 percent, reducing timeliness and utility for readers seeking updates.
- Posting percentage (22.9 percent) and days per week (1.6) are below benchmarks, limiting audience touchpoints.
- Campus governance (1 story) is below the state average (3.1), leaving decision‑making coverage underrepresented.
- Multimedia output (0 total) is well under state averages, missing opportunities for audience growth and platform reach.
- In‑story links participation rate (5 percent) is low, despite a strong average per story among linked pieces, indicating uneven adoption.
Summary
The Sun ranked eighth in opinion coverage.
The publication delivered 22 stories over five adjusted weeks, with strengths in campus and community emphasis and improved weekly output versus recent spring terms. However, it remains below state norms in News proportion, posting frequency, governance coverage, and multimedia utilization.
The Sun has had longer times between print publications than most programs and has learned to hide the timeliness of stories be excluding specific mentions of when they happened. That might work for print, but if it adopts a more appropriate online strategy in covering stories may have to become more conscious of including the “when” of a story.
Recommendations for improvement
- First and foremost, integrate the online edition into the regular production process. Consider involving all staff members in creating/editing stories with goals of publishing stories online before publishing in print. Use the two publications to complement each other, not merely duplicate each other.
- Expand governance coverage through regular meeting roundups and explainer articles to meet or exceed the 3.1 state average. If governance stories would be stale in a print version, keep them fresh by posting online instead.
- Build a basic multimedia pipeline (photo galleries from events; short videos) to close the gap with state totals and diversify reach.
- Standardize in‑story link usage (checklist per article) so more stories include helpful references, keeping the strong “average per linked story” while raising participation.
Portions of this summary report were generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot AI.
[1] When a publication is on the bubble and may go away, permanently or temporarily, it is important to preserve the URL for a few years, at least, so if the publication wants to make a comeback it has a reserved identity. It is also wise to avoid creating new URLs for a publication with the same name, as it splits your library of past stories over two or more URLs and creates reader confusion. As most student publication sites are set up to exclude college administration from content control, a succession plan for URL ownership should also be considered.
[2] There could be some legal liabilities for publications where the school employee, by design, is responsible for final publication authorization. School employees, while having some protections, may not enjoy some of the immunities of First Amendment that students do as they are, technically, government employees.
[3] Publication windows are measured from the first week of the semester the publication —Monday through Sunday—that it has two or more posts to the last week of the semester with two or more posts. No other adjustments are made. When counting total post days, though, all post days are included, including those made prior to or after the publication window, and all stories are counted in totals.
[4] Cerritos is the only publication to post individual PDF pages of its print edition, which adds to their overall numbers. It does this for portfolio reasons for the page designers.
[5] Pew Research Center. “Users Spend More Time with Content in the Morning or Late at Night.” Pew Research Center: Journalism & Media, 5 May 2016, https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2016/05/05/3-users-spend-more-time-with-content-in-the-morning-or-late-at-night/
[6] Chaffey supports partial RSS just for stories categorized by the publication as News; other categories do not show up in the feed. Orange Coast has an internal RSS feed that can be accessed with its date search widget.
[7] As a sometimes judge for JACC and other media organization contests across the country I can assure you that these stories are eliminated from critical review consideration almost immediately. A summarization of the plot is NOT a review, it is a feature. Opinion in the leads or analysis woven throughout are what stand out. More instruction on good critical review writing might be in order.
[8] CommonNinja. “Top Image Gallery Widgets & Plugins for 2023 [Free & Paid].” CommonNinja Blog, 21 Feb. 2024, www.commoninja.com/blog/top-image-gallery-widgets-plugins#Top-Choice:-Common-Ninja’s-Image-Gallery-Widget. Accessed 27 Dec. 2025.
Comments
Post a Comment