Media Landscape of San Diego

San Diego, California, features a diverse media ecosystem comprising daily print publications, neighborhood newspapers, specialized magazines, digital-first newsrooms, and broadcast stations. Because the city shares an international border with Tijuana, Mexico, residents also have access to cross-border media broadcasts.

Print Journalism and Newspapers

The primary daily newspaper in the city is The San Diego Union-Tribune. The publication was formed in 1992 through the merger of the San Diego Union, established in 1868, and the San Diego Evening Tribune, established in 1881. Tribune Publishing acquired the newspaper in 2015, ending 146 years of private local ownership.

In addition to the major daily paper, the city hosts alternative weeklies such as the San Diego Reader, founded in 1972, as well as business journals, ethnic press publications like La Prensa San Diego, and a wide array of neighborhood-specific newspapers covering areas from La Jolla to Pacific Beach.

Digital and Online-Only Media

San Diego supports several digital-first and nonprofit newsrooms designed to provide localized coverage and investigative reporting. Prominent examples include Voice of San Diego, an investigative nonprofit news outlet founded in 2005, and Times of San Diego, a web-based news site founded in 2014 that was acquired by the nonprofit journalism organization NEWSWELL in 2024.