Santa Maria Sun

MEDIA LANDSCAPE IN CALIFORNIA

Gold Rush settlement in the mid-nineteenth century established a robust newspaper tradition that is now defined by heavy chain consolidation and large metropolitan dailies. The independently owned Los Angeles Times leads overall circulation, while Hearst publishes the historic San Francisco Chronicle, founded in 1865 to serve northern readers. Inland political reporting relies heavily on the McClatchy chain, which operates the Sacramento Bee, while coastal coverage includes the Alden Global Capital-owned Orange County Register. This market also sustains a highly influential ethnic press, notably spearheaded by La Opinion, the most-read Spanish-language daily published in the United States. Paperboy indexes 343 California newspapers — browse the full directory below.