Through the first half of the 20th century, Angelenos could choose among numerous newspapers—the Mirror, the Herald-Express, the Examiner, and the Times among them—to figure out what was happening in their region, city, and neighborhood. After World War II, L.A.’s major newspapers dwindled down to one: the Los Angeles Times. But the Times has struggled in this new millennium, wrestling with ownership change, bankruptcy, layoffs, and decreases in paid circulation. What kind of broad-based newspaper do Angelenos want—and what kind does L.A. need? How have demographic, technological, and cultural shifts changed the way Southern Californians read and understand the news? Orange County Register owner and publisher Aaron Kushner, who recently announced that his company would begin publishing a Los Angeles Register, former L.A. city councilman and dean of Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Environmental Design Michael Woo, and Los Angeles Times columnist Sandy Banks visit Zócalo to discuss what kind of publication can match the aspirations of the region, keep our elected officials accountable, and tell us where to eat—or whether all this is asking too much of the papers of L.A.’s future.

This event is made possible with generous support from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.