Covering 13 counties across the greater San Francisco Bay Area and Northern California
Bay City News Service is the trusted news source for the region’s top media outlets, government agencies, public affairs teams and other community stakeholders. With around-the-clock news coverage, we deliver timely, accurate and verified stories on breaking news, government, legal, environmental and civic topics that impact nearly 10 million people.
Every day, our team of professional journalists produces about 30 original stories with photos and graphics and curates a list of up to 50-70 verified news events for our Datebook. We use AP style, provide contact information for sources and verify all information before publication. Clients rely on us to fuel their coverage—freeing up their own reporters to focus on deeper reporting, while delivering relevant, local news their audiences care about.
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Products & Services
News Service
Get timely, verified stories your audience can trust. Our 24/7 newsroom delivers accurate, AP-style coverage of Bay Area news, ready for all your communication channels. Stay informed on local issues while saving your team valuable time.
Custom Coverage
Need custom coverage of press conferences, announcements or special events? Our experienced reporters and photographers can attend on request and deliver professional, ready-to-publish stories and images.
Datebook
Our team tracks thousands of public meetings and civic events across 13 counties, helping media businesses plan, PR firms and government agencies anticipate coverage for maximum media engagement. All the curated events we list are verified the day before, and include details and contact information.
On-request Editing
Cut your copyediting time in half. Our editorial team refines your copy to AP standards, ensuring clarity, accuracy and consistency before your stories reach the public, journalists and stakeholders.
Photo Service
Access more than 30,000 photos from our archive. Every image includes AP-style captions and can be filtered by city, topic, name, or date—perfect for websites, reports, and social channels that need credible visuals that have been cleared for copyright protection.
Our Policies at a Glance
Bay City News is an independently owned and operated regional news outlet, affiliated with the nonprofit Bay City News Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity. The company is owned by longtime journalist Katherine Ann Rowlands; the nonprofit is overseen by a Board of Directors.
Ethics Policy
We insist on original, verified, well-sourced reporting from journalists who are committed to doing trustworthy and fact-based reporting. We do not allow anonymous sources or attribution to other media except with permission in exceptional circumstances. Nor do we allow generative AI for news writing; we insist on human verification and original writing even if technological tools are used to research topics and background. We follow the SPJ Code of Ethics. We use AP style. We require writers to avoid conflicts of interest on the topics they cover so that our sources, clients and readers have confidence in our commitment to being fair and accurate. We correct our mistakes and welcome feedback at newsroom@baycitynews.com.
Professional Associations
Our outlet follows the highest ethical and professional standards outlined by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics and the editorial independence policy developed by the Institute for Nonprofit News. We are also proud members of the Local Independent Online News Publishers, and our staff belong to the Society of Professional Journalists and other professional associations.
Corrections Policy
Our outlet responds to all requests for corrections and clarifications in a timely manner. We investigate all requests with independent fact-finding to be sure that our information is correct. Please note that we generally do not issue corrections for differences of opinion or disagreements with editorial judgment. We prominently display any corrected text so readers can see what was updated, and we also do internal corrections audits to prevent similar errors from being repeated. To alert us to any concerns, contact our 24/7 news desk at (510) 251-8100 or newsroom@baycitynews.com.
Contact
For more information about subscription service packages, give us a call, shoot us an email or fill out the contact form.
News tips and questions: newsroom@baycitynews.com
Business Inquiries: info@baycitynews.com
Bay City News Service
900 Hilldale Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94708
(510) 251-8100
Who We Serve
Bay City News subscribers are predominantly other major media outlets, along with PR and public affairs firms, government agencies and corporate communications teams. Below are a handful of the clients we serve.
Our Story
Bay City News Service, a regional newswire that has been serving the San Francisco Bay Area since 1979, fills a critical void that has emerged as legacy outlets struggle amidst a local news crisis, changing audience habits and financial challenges. We are on duty 24/7; we fill the gaps; we serve the whole region in an efficient, cost-effective and comprehensive way.
Nearly every newsroom in the Bay Area has used BCN content either directly on their platforms or indirectly via the ecosystem’s network effect during the last five decades. And recently, we have expanded with text, photo, video and more event listings to serve additional independent, digital outlets in 13 counties, from Mendocino to Marin to Monterey. Our local content, which is all verified by reporters and editors working around the clock, reaches the public through conventional outlets that are already subscribers (TV, radio, print, digital) and via through our affiliated nonprofit website at LocalNewsMatters.org.
Founder Dick Fogel, a former Oakland Tribune editor and open government advocate, helped shape the principles that informed California’s public records laws and the national Freedom of Information Act. The current owner, journalist Katherine Ann Rowlands, serves as president of the board of the First Amendment Coalition, which is dedicated to free speech, freedom of the press and open government.
Since day one, our mission has been to provide original, accurate, and timely reporting to media professionals across the region. Join us.
Our Affiliated Nonprofit Newsrooms
Our legacy news service is affiliated with Bay City News Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization founded in 2018 to bolster public service journalism through reporting initiatives, community listening and nonprofit news sites such as LocalNewsMatters.org and MendoVoice.com. We have also launched collaborative initiatives such as StocktonNewsMatters.org, SantaClaraCountyNewsMatters.org and MarinNewsMatters.org with nonprofit partners. These philanthropically-supported projects help expand our reach, especially to undercovered communities, and reflect our shared values around civic engagement and access to reliable information. Learn more and contribute at BayCityNews.org
Bay City News 