james salanga

hi! i'm james, a reporter & editor from the california central valley focused on covering place, labor, disability, education, the ongoing pandemic and community movements. (in publications, i use janelle.)currently, i'm the co-executive director for media criticism site The Objective, where i head up editorial operations. i'm also the podcast producer for The Sick Times, a newsroom covering the ongoing long COVID crisis.formerly, i was a reporter covering the central coast for KAZU. before that, i was the sacramento communities reporter and one of the writers for the SacramenKnow newsletter at NPR's sacramento member station, CapRadio.i use they/them pronouns. you can reach me via [email protected].

selected works

KAZU author pageCapRadio author page

reporting:

"Disability rights are workers' rights": Disabled UC Davis workers on strike advocate for greater accessibility on the picket and in the university
CapRadio | Nov. 28, 2022

Strikers' signs, which read UAW ON STRIKE and UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE (in smaller letters under), lean against bikes in front of a crowd of workers gathered on a grassy field.

New Malcolm X Academy in Oak Park continues tradition of Black Panther liberation schools CapRadio | Oct. 11, 2022Supportive families help gender euphoria bloom
Prism | Jul. 28, 2022

At 24 years old, the volunteer-run Lavender Library continues to build history, community for LGBTQ+ Sacramentans
CapRadio | Jun. 30, 2022

Long COVID patients struggle as medical community learns more about the condition CapRadio | Jun. 22, 2022

Sacramento Filipino-American activists breathe new life into half-century struggle after Marcos Jr's election
CapRadio | Jun. 12, 2022New generation of disabled UC students revives activism
CalMatters | Sep. 23, 2021

media criticism:Journalists work from a place of harm reduction
Nieman Lab | 2023 predictionRealizing inequality in news goes a lot deeper than diversity numbers
Nieman Lab | 2022 predictionWhite supremacy isn't new, and newsrooms shouldn't cover it like it is
The Objective | Apr. 7, 2021

work history

places i've been:

i graduated from uc davis in march 2021 with a degree in science & technology studies.

through all my past & current homes, i've grown expertise in:

  • reporting individually and collaboratively for radio, digital, print, twitter and magazines

  • editing news and features for print & digital

  • newsletter writing, editing and organization in mailchimp

  • managing an editorial calendar to track freelancer progress and payment

  • developing editorial strategy for short- and medium-term projects, newsroom direction

  • audio production via adobe premiere pro & audacity

  • content management in wordpress and substack

  • developing instagram & twitter packages to extend story reach and engage with audiences

  • scripting short-form video content to share reporting

  • using twitter & instagram to source & develop stories

  • organizing a newsroom diversity report

  • moderating panels and workshops

  • following prolonged actions (2019-20 COLA movement, 2022 sac city unified strike, 2022 UC strikes)

i've also developed & given journalism workshops for various programs, including SRCCON, Sacramento School Beat, Voices of Monterey Bay's Young Voices Media project, CalMatters College Beat and the Pilipino Youth Conference at UC Davis.in some measure, i've also represented The Objective and discussed our work to college classes at CUNY and UC Davis, and fellowship programs, namely Just Media.