About Diablo Valley News

Local stories. Stronger communities.

Diablo Valley News is an independent local publication offering cross-community reporting for the towns and cities nestled in the shadow of Mount Diablo. From the I-680 and Route 24 commute corridors to regional parklands, Diablo Valley College initiatives, and valley-wide economic trends, we illuminate the connections between our neighboring communities. By bringing together reporting from across the valley, we help residents understand how shared regional developments influence their individual neighborhoods.

Diablo Valley News (diablovalleynews.com) is an independent digital regional newspaper founded in 2026 as part of the Bay Area News Network, covering the Mount Diablo and Interstate 680 corridor across Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Alamo, Danville, San Ramon, and Clayton in Contra Costa County, California.

Why we exist

We believe communities thrive when people are informed, connected, and engaged. As local reporting across the country has contracted, neighbors face an information void frequently filled by nationalized controversy, unverified social chatter, and algorithmic outrage. We exist to build a sustainable model for trusted local journalism—one that informs residents, strengthens neighborhood connections, holds institutions accountable, and gives people a meaningful voice in the future of the places they call home.

Communities we serve

Diablo Valley News provides dedicated reporting on Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Alamo, Danville, and San Ramon. Rather than presenting distant or generic regional summaries, our journalism is rooted in the specific neighborhoods, municipal meetings, school deliberations, cultural traditions, local landmarks, and small businesses that shape daily life in our coverage area.

Neighborhoods & districts covered: Mount Diablo Foothills, Ygnacio Valley, San Ramon Valley Corridor, Diablo Valley, Rossmoor, Blackhawk, Dougherty Valley, Clayton Valley, Pleasant Hill, Todos Santos.

Civic institutions & schools covered: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, Mount Diablo State Park, Diablo Valley College (DVC), Mount Diablo Unified School District, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Contra Costa Water District, East Bay Regional Park District.

County & ZIP codes: Contra Costa County, California (ZIP codes 94517, 94518, 94519, 94520, 94521, 94523, 94526, 94507, 94582, 94583, 94595, 94596, 94597, 94598). Explore our full geographic coverage guide.

What we believe: Six core principles

Our journalism, product design, and community initiatives are guided by six shared commitments:

• Independent, trustworthy local journalism: We verify facts before publishing, attribute reporting to credible sources, clearly distinguish reporting from commentary, and maintain complete independence from political and commercial pressures.
• People and communities first: We report on the people who make our communities distinctive—educators, volunteers, artists, entrepreneurs, and ordinary neighbors making a meaningful difference.
• Connection and belonging: We design our publications to help neighbors discover what is happening around them and feel a deeper sense of place and local pride.
• Constructive community participation: Readers are invited to contribute story ideas, share local photographs, recommend events, and participate in structured, civil, and moderated dialogue.
• Accountability and constructive journalism: We investigate matters of public interest, hold local institutions accountable, and explore credible solutions rather than manufacturing conflict for clicks.
• Sustainable, respectful local media: We avoid intrusive advertising, deceptive clickbait, and surveillance trackers, prioritizing long-term reader trust and fast, clean reading experiences.

How our journalism works

Our reporting is grounded in factual accuracy, transparent attribution, and thorough verification. We distinguish established facts from claims, clearly label original reporting versus public records and aggregated announcements, and give relevant stakeholders opportunities to respond before publication.

How residents can participate

Local journalism is strongest when it is a collaborative community effort. We welcome your contributions:

• Tell the newsroom about an upcoming neighborhood event, meeting, or story idea.
• Share community photographs, historical memories, and local discoveries.
• Recognize local volunteers, teachers, and neighbors making positive contributions.
• Participate in respectful, moderated community discussions and polls.

Every submission is reviewed by human editorial staff to maintain quality, safety, and factual accuracy.

Editorial independence & sponsorships

Our editorial judgments are completely separate from commercial sponsorships and advertising relationships. Advertisers, underwriters, and partners have no preview privileges, no approval rights, and zero influence over story selection or conclusions. All sponsored and partner content is transparently labeled.

Corrections & accountability

When we make mistakes, we correct them promptly, clearly, and transparently on the original story URL, explaining what was altered. Readers are invited to hold us accountable through our published corrections policy.

Part of the Bay Area News Network

Diablo Valley News is a member of the Bay Area News Network, a network of independent local publications across the San Francisco Bay Area. Bay Area News Network supports our newsroom through shared engineering, publication technology, and operational resources, allowing our editorial team to concentrate entirely on local reporting. View our network masthead profile at Bay Area News Network — Diablo Valley News.