Hi, this is Vanessa, your ENLIGHTENMENT salon host.

Journalism is in trouble, but honestly, where would we get the in-depth news about the place we live if we didn't have a local newspaper? I often hear complaints about The Sacramento Bee (the paywall, the pop-up ads) but it still is the paper of record in the Sacramento region and regularly provides important breaking news and in-depth exposes on a regular basis (i.e., it was the first on the scene of the medical helicopter crash on Highway 50 last October, and I love its weekly Health Inspector scoops about not-so-hygenic restaurants).

It published its first edition on February 3, 1857, and while newspapers are struggling across the country, The Sac Bee is still here, and management intends it to stick around for another 169 years. But how are they going to make that happen?

I’ve invited The Sacramento Bee’s brand-new editor, Chris Fusco, and its longtime opinion editor, Marcos Bretón, to come present their vision of The Sacramento Bee and the other California newspapers they manage (The Fresno Bee, Modesto Bee, Merced Sun-Star and The Tribune of San Luis Obispo) — where they are now, where they want to take them, and what’s needed to make that happen.

This is our turn to be the journalists — ask questions of Chris and Marcos to get the information you need about the future of local journalism in California.

Also, this will be the first official event in the new ENLIGHTEMENT salon space! It’s in the old Royal Florist shop on 10th Street between V and W streets (the business name is still connected to the address in Google/Apple Maps — I’ll leave it like that for now, since 2026 is a trial run to see whether a permanent salon space is financially viable ).

Tickets are $10. Your payment goes to cover the salon’s rent and electricity bill — like with quality journalism, great events aren’t free to produce — and I’ll provide some drinks and snacks to go along with the great conversation.

Here’s the link to register on Eventbrite and get your seat.