Michelle Morgante has been named Editor-in-Chief of the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative (CVJC).
She has been tapped to lead the newly formed journalism collaborative that aims to activate a local free press by growing newsroom jobs, increasing reporting workforce diversity, supporting local journalism ecosystem innovation and expanding philanthropic investment in California’s Central Valley.
The nonprofit was launched by the James B. McClatchy Foundation, which says its goal is to counter the loss of local journalists amid the collapse of the traditional media industry.
Morgante, whose journalism career spans more than three decades, was most recently membership director for the Institute for Nonprofit News.
She previously worked as a public information officer at UC Merced. Before that, she was NPR’s west coast deputy managing editor.
Morgante returned home to the San Joaquin Valley in 2015 to become managing editor of the Merced Sun-Star. The position was eliminated in 2017 due to McClatchy-wide budget cuts.
Her past experience includes 20 years as reporter, editor and bureau chief across the U.S. and in Latin America with the Associates Press.