As we approach NEWSWELL’s two-year anniversary, we’re thrilled to share growth stories from two of our local sites.
Before Times of San Diego joined NEWSWELL in 2024 and then combined forces with the San Diego Community Newspaper Group in 2025, it largely operated with a network of freelancers. But the newsroom has been steadily expanding and had a recent influx of new team members.
Times of San Diego now has a 10-person newsroom, up from one employee in 2024.
Thomas Melville joins the newsroom as assigning editor/reporter. He has been the editor of La Jolla Village News, Beach & Bay Press and Peninsula Beacon newspapers since 2015. Melville has worked for national, regional and community publications for more than 30 years and has covered everything from professional sports to natural disasters to Día de los Muertos in Mexico City.
Chris Baker is the new production coordinator. Baker has worked in local newsrooms for over 20 years as a graphic artist and production manager in both print and digital media.
Dorian Hargrove joins as a news editor. Hargrove is a four-time Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist and producer known for his watchdog reporting on local government and social justice issues. In addition to working as a journalist, he teaches investigative journalism at San Diego State University.
Earlier this year, Drew Sitton and Alejandro Maciel also joined the Times of San Diego newsroom full time. Sitton, a reporter, has worked in local news since 2017 covering the communities, people and topics that make local living meaningful. Maciel, who leads the recently launched Tiempos de San Diego, is a bilingual, binational journalist who has had stints at Los Angeles Times en Español, El Diario/La Prensa in New York, People Magazine and La Opinión, and has contributed to Radio Bilingüe, Radio Fórmula and KPFK.
Meanwhile, the Santa Barbara News-Press, which relaunched its newsroom in January with one full-time employee — editor Joshua Molina — just hired two reporters.
Molina and his team of freelancers have been able to do remarkable coverage in the first months of the relaunched newsroom, but bringing on two full-time reporters will expand the News-Press’ reporting capacity.
Tom Schultz rejoined the News-Press as a reporter. Schultz was a reporter at the News-Press from 1998 to 2007 and covered breaking news, government, crime, healthcare, education, science, business and lifestyle. Schultz recently returned to the News-Press as a freelance contributor before joining its newsroom team full time. Schultz has also worked as a marketing writer, editor and content manager.
Julianna Lozada was also hired as a reporter. She has spent the past few years as a local news reporter covering wildfire recovery, the rippling effects of immigration raids throughout Southern California and local politics.
These newsroom additions are more than staffing updates — they’re investments in the future of local journalism. Stronger local newsrooms create stronger communities, and we’re proud to help make that possible.