What kind of news does Berkeleyside cover?

Updated

Berkeleyside is a local news source for Berkeley, California, covering breaking news, public safety, politics, food, real estate and development, education, and events. If you are looking for Berkeley-specific reporting — from City Council elections to restaurant closures to crime and court outcomes — this is the type of coverage the site publishes. It is not a national or general-interest news outlet; its focus is the city of Berkeley and nearby Alameda County topics.

Core coverage areas

Based on the site's own description and its homepage, Berkeleyside's reporting falls into these categories:

  • Breaking news and public safety — crime, courts, and emergency incidents. Homepage examples include the sentencing of a Berkeley animal shelter arsonist and a West Berkeley hit-and-run that injured two pedestrians.
  • Politics and elections — candidate profiles, ballot measures, and voting guides. The site ran a 2026 election guide for Berkeley and Alameda County, a list of who's running for City Council and school board, and coverage of seven November ballot measures.
  • Food and restaurants — openings, closures, and the economics of dining. Examples include Seniore's Pizza shutting its Berkeley branch, Eli's Mile High Club starting a closure countdown, and a story on rising restaurant prices told through a signature dish.
  • Real estate and development — land use and major projects. Coverage includes a land trust eyeing a private ranch next to Tilden park and early planning for a waterfront park at Golden Gate Fields.
  • Education — Berkeley school board races and school-related issues appear within election and local coverage.
  • Events and community — roundups such as Indigenous Peoples Day PowWow, pumpkin patches, haunted hikes, and local history talks.

How the coverage is organized

The homepage mixes hard news with features and recurring items:

Type What it looks like
Latest news Dated, bylined reports on crime, courts, business, and city affairs
Election hub Voter guides, candidate lists, ballot measure explainers
Editors' picks Longer features, such as a profile of a Berkeley AI mining company or a list of famous Berkeley people
Around Berkeley Event roundups and community notices
Sponsored Clearly labeled advertiser content, such as a StopWaste piece on food date labels

What this means for you

  • If you live in or follow Berkeley, Berkeleyside is structured to be a single source for city-level news across crime, politics, food, housing, and events.
  • If you need national or international news, this is not the right source — its scope is local.
  • If you are researching a specific Berkeley topic, the election section and the "latest news" feed are the most direct entry points, since stories are dated and bylined.

One practical note: some homepage items are marked "Sponsored," so check the label if you want original reporting rather than advertiser content.