New county CEO Frank Kim needs to take the lead in creating an effective regional governance model if he’s to stem calls for dissolution of Orange County’s cities in favor of one super city.
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 inCountywide, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: OC Gets a Chance to Stomp Out Cronyism in Government
County supervisors may soon be able to heighten transparency for private sector contracting at public agencies if Sacramento legislators pass a proposed law dubbed “CRONEY.” Will they seize the opportunity?
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: Can We Really Trust OC Leaders to Police Themselves?
Forcing 274 prosecutors to file new disclosure forms as cover for the DA chief of staff’s failure to file her own economic disclosures is a walking advertisement for a county ethics commission.
Posted inCountywide, Norberto Santana Jr.
Santana: The Most Expensive Mug Shots in History
Refusal by the district attorney’s office to hand over photos of its managers triggers an $8,300 legal bill for OC taxpayers.
Posted inInside the Newsroom, News Briefs
Changes at Voice of OC
After serving five years as Editor-in-Chief, Norberto Santana Jr. moves into the role of Publisher and will produce a weekly column focused on Orange County politics and government.
Posted inCountywide, Norberto Santana Jr.
Keeping Watch: County Government’s Most Thankless Job
County Performance Auditor Phillip Cheng is under fire for producing milquetoast audits. But given what supervisors have done to previous auditors, can you really blame him?
Posted inCountywide, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories
Nation’s Best Investigative Reporting Recognized
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), a national journalism organization, announced its awards for 2015. Voice of OC’s Norberto Santana Jr. served as a judge for finalists.
Posted inNews Briefs
OC Weekly Editor: Berardino’s Journalism Legacy ‘More Positive’ Than Kushner’s
Gustavo Arellano this week puts a unique focus on the retirement of outgoing Orange County Employees Association General Manager Nick Berardino during his weekly commentary on public radio, KCRW.
Posted inCountywide, Government, Investigative, News Briefs, Top Stories
Local Bar Association Slams DA for Avoiding Judge’s Courtroom
The Orange County Bar Association weighs in on reports that the District Attorney’s Office has systematically steered cases away from Thomas Goethals since he convened a hearing on allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.
Posted inGovernment, News Briefs, Top Stories
Longtime Orange County Employees Association Chief To Retire
OCEA General Manager Nick Berardino will retire in July after more than four decades with the county’s largest union.
