Orange County Supervisors’ attacks on public comment and the press are part of a growing pattern to shield six-figure elected officials from any accountability.
Author Archives: Norberto Santana Jr.
Norberto Santana, Jr. is an experienced investigative reporter, serving as founding publisher and editor-in-chief for Voice of OC, overseeing newsroom, engagement and fundraising operations.
He’s also an award-winning columnist, focusing his efforts on First Amendment issues and local government, being recognized multiple years by the Orange County Press Club as the region’s best columnist.
The LA Press Club has named him a Journalist of the Year (2018) and the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has recognized him as a “Distinguished Journalist.” The California Chicano News Media Association has honored him with a lifetime achievement award and the national News Leaders Association has recognized him for his commitment to diverse staffing and coverage.
Santana is a pioneer in the field of nonprofit news having served on the board of directors for the national trade group for nonprofit newsrooms, the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN). He also has served on boards of the national nonprofit advocating investigative journalism, Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and the California First Amendment advocacy group, CalAware.
In addition to journalism, Santana also teaches public affairs and investigative journalism as an adjunct faculty professor at Chapman University.
Before founding Voice of OC in 2009, Santana was a lead investigative reporter for the Orange County Register, focusing on county government. He spent nearly two decades covering local governments across Southern California, previously as a staff writer at the San Diego Union Tribune and San Bernardino County Sun.
Santana began his journalistic career as an apprentice reporter with Congressional Quarterly in Washington, D.C. covering daily floor action in the U.S. Congress and followed that up with a stint covering the territorial Senate for the U.S. Virgin Islands Daily News.
Languages spoken: English and Spanish
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: OC Auditor Controller Leads CA Public Accountants Uprising
OC Auditor Controller Eric Woolery leads a coalition of 44 auditor controllers from across California, demanding the ability to hire their own lawyers when they detect fraud, waste or abuse from local elected officials. Action comes just as OC Supervisors are poised today to water down 1994 bankruptcy-era reform requiring public review for borrowings.
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Is This The Year OC Vets Finally Get Their Own Cemetery?
There are state and federal designations backing a site on the former El Toro Marine Air Base but no clear path to fund the $77 million construction cost. This Tuesday, Irvine City Councilman Jeff Lalloway and Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk Silva jumpstart a stalled debate, advocating a plan to have the city fund more than half.
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Voice of OC Gets a New Look
Voice of OC today debuts a new logo and website design. Yet while there’s a new look, there’s still the same commitment to local government coverage.
Posted inCountywide, News Briefs
Voice of OC Public Records Case Postponed to Apr. 13
Judge Walter P. Schwarm indicated in a verbal tentative ruling that he was leaning toward granting portions of Voice of OC requests for public records denied by the County, including an Op-ed written by Supervisor Todd Spitzer about the incident at a Wahoos restaurant where he handcuffed an evangelist while armed.
Posted inCountywide, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Justice Often Depends on The Bare Essentials
Voice of OC again heads into court this week in a First Amendment case against the County of Orange over secret documents held by county supervisors. Yet a cutback on hours for OC court reporters by the Superior Court of Orange County last week delayed justice. Proceedings resume on Tuesday.
Posted inNorberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Can Local Government Operate in Total Secrecy?
This week, the nation celebrates Sunshine Week, an annual event recognizing the need for more open government and access to public records. Here in Orange County, Voice of OC marks the holiday in court. On Tuesday, a yearlong battle to get public records about a bizarre incident – involving a county supervisor, an evangelist, a gun and handcuffs – goes to trial.
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Respect For Human Rights is a Local Story
Watching State Sen. Janet Nguyen get dragged out of a California Senate chamber is a stark reminder that too often, after the trade deals are done and history has been rewritten, our ideals take a quiet back seat to profit. Here in OC, groups like the Protocol Foundation deserve constant scrutiny to see what foreign interests are visiting our local government.
Posted inAnaheim, Norberto Santana Jr., Safety, Security & Justice
Santana: Will Anaheim Invest in Youth & Police Oversight Before It’s Too Late?
Expect a packed hall at this week’s city council meeting in Anaheim, where once again, a police shooting will dominate the agenda. Yet this week, the very structure for reviewing such incidents, the Public Safety Board, is itself up for review.
Posted inCountywide, Housing & Homelessness, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: People Are The Future of Civics & News
Whether it’s ensuring thoughtful evacuation of riverbed homeless encampments or switching out fueling contracts at John Wayne Airport, Orange County residents are increasingly challenging their government to be accountable, often on the front pages of Voice of OC. National media leaders and foundations, looking for models of civic engagement, are looking to Orange County.
