Michelle Morgante is editor-in-chief of the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative. CVJC photo

The Central Valley Journalism Collaborative — launched by the James B. McClatchy Foundation last year to promote public service journalism in the Central Valley — announced Tuesday it received a $1 million grant from the James Irvine Foundation.

“The grant will focus on building local news ecosystems in Stockton and Fresno, two significant communities where diminishing local news coverage has opened voids increasingly vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation,” according to a news release.

The Collaborative grows newsrooms by hiring local journalists and encouraging cooperation with newsroom partners, according to the release. For two years, the Irvine grant will fund journalism projects “that amplify diverse voices while focusing on issues most important to local communities,” according to the release.

“The need to preserve local news and journalism jobs is paramount as changes in news ownership have diminished local control of coverage, resulting in fewer reporters covering their communities and residents being left in the dark about events and issues affecting their lives,” said Michelle Morgante, Collaborative editor-in-chief