Left to right: Alex Bloomingdale and Javier Cabral

An impact spotlight from a Press Forward grantee newsroom.

Who: Alex Bloomingdale (a.k.a. Blazedale), publisher; Javier Cabral, editor, L.A. TACO.

What: Founded in 2006, L.A. TACO is an independently owned and operated digital publisher, with news stories that cover Los Angeles’ most underserved communities. There are features on L.A.’s underground culture and everyday heroes in the city, along with a constantly updated database of the best taquerías and affordable places to eat in L.A.

The site won a James Beard Award for Emerging Voice in 2020.

Where: The reporting serves L.A.’s working communities outside of L.A.’s trendy neighborhoods.

Why: L.A. TACO champions what it calls the “taco lifestyle”—a celebration of L.A.’s diversity and unity through its iconic street food. As stated on the About page: “No matter where you are from and how much this city changes, the one constant will always be tacos and the desire to know where to find the best ones, whether you’re a resident or a visitor.”

Their unique style of inclusive journalism is based on the trust and respect of L.A.’s marginalized neighborhoods. It is called “street-level journalism,” a term coined by Javier Cabral when he became the editor-in-chief in 2019.

How: L.A. TACO builds community and increases impact and sustainability in these ways:

• The publication had a near-death experience last year, but was able to fundraise enough money to come back strong. It grew from 1,500 paying members in April 2024 to 3,500 members by June, and plans to run another membership drive this year to highlight the importance of independent media to L.A.
• With the help of Press Forward funding, the outlet recently launched the L.A. TACO Media Lab, which brings together social media creators and student journalists to learn from one another and collaborate, in partnership with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. The Lab’s mission is to provide journalists with greater social media skills and creators with more  journalism skills and ethics. “USC’s student journalists bring fresh perspectives and generational insights to L.A. TACO, allowing us to expand our coverage of L.A.’s underserved neighborhoods,” said Cabral. “Together, we amplify voices that mainstream media often overlook.”
• Each year, L.A. TACO has an NCAA-style bracket tournament, TACO MADNESS, to crown the city’s top taquería. The competition concludes with an in-person event featuring 12 taquerias on May 3.
• L.A. TACO’s membership program includes three tiers, ranging from $59.95/year to $195/year, with perks including free access to events, merchandise, and even free tacos through the site’s app.

Quotable: “Press Forward’s support allowed us to kickstart the Media Lab and also gave us crucial feedback that our concept has the potential to be a transformative project. The endorsement gave us the confidence to forge a deeper partnership with USC and to begin fundraising around the Lab in 2025 and beyond.” – Alex Bloomingdale