The League of Women Voters of Oakland honored The Oaklandside this week by awarding the nonprofit newsroom its “Making Democracy Work Award.” League officials presented the award to The Oaklandside’s Editor-in-Chief Tasneem Raja Thursday evening at a celebration of the league’s 100th year of civic leadership.
“News is critical for a healthy democracy. It helps communities understand what’s at stake in local elections,” said Anna Mathai, the league’s vice president of record. “It helps them to get involved in the political process by voting, contacting officials, running for office, and it reduces political polarization, and holds public officials accountable.”
Launched in 2020, The Oaklandside is part of Cityside, which also operates Berkeleyside and Richmondside. The Oaklandside’s team of seven reporters covers City Hall, public safety, schools, housing, homelessness, road safety, transit, health, the environment, food, arts, entertainment, the local economy, and much more. The newsroom has provided in-depth coverage of every Oakland election over the past four years, helping voters understand the issues and candidates and empowering residents to become more engaged in conversations about the city’s policy priorities.
Founded in 1924, the League of Women Voters of Oakland is a nonpartisan organization that promotes participation in the city’s political processes through research, advocacy, and education.
During its centennial celebration Thursday night at the historic Camron-Stanford House by Lake Merritt, the league honored two of its longtime leaders, Bonnie Hamlin and Ernestine Nettles. Hamlin has volunteered with the league for 42 years serving in a range of roles, including president, and she helped pass Oakland’s Sunshine Ordinance in 1996, a crucial government transparency law that residents and journalists rely on. Nettles, the league’s incoming president, and its first Black president, is a lifelong Oaklander whose lifetime of activism has included standing against the Vietnam War, pushing for gender equity in school dress codes, and fighting for the rights of 18-year-olds to vote. She plans to prioritize voter education, partnerships, and increasing diversity in the league’s membership.
In accepting the award, Raja described some of the work The Oaklandside hopes to do while reporting on the Nov. 2024 local election, including learning from voters who don’t consistently participate in elections what will make them confident going to the polls.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to me and this entire team of people who make this newsroom work day after day,” said Raja.” “To be a 4-year-old newsroom being honored by a 100-year-old civic organization, that’s pretty cool.”
