Informed IE Launches New Digital News Platform to Connect Inland Empire Communities

The Inland Empire Journalism Innovation Hub+Fund announced today the public launch of Informed IE, a new digital news and information platform designed to strengthen local journalism, elevate community voices, and connect residents across Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Now available at www.informedIE.com, Informed IE provides a shared space where residents can discover local news, follow important regional developments, and connect with stories from journalists, news organizations, and community contributors throughout the Inland Empire.

The launch comes just ahead of the November 3 General Election, with the platform featuring election results to help residents follow local and statewide races as results become available.

“For too long, the Inland Empire has lacked a central place where people can go to understand what’s happening across our communities,” said Armando Carmona, Director of the Inland Empire Journalism Innovation Hub+Fund. “We have talented journalists, trusted community news organizations, and residents with important stories to tell. What’s been missing is the infrastructure to bring those voices together. Informed IE is our effort to change that.”

Building an Information Ecosystem for the Inland Empire, Informed IE is part of a broader regional initiative to strengthen the Inland Empire’s local news and information ecosystem. Rather than operating solely as a traditional news website, the platform is designed to bring together established news organizations, independent journalists, community storytellers, and residents in a shared digital space.

Informed IE is partnering with trusted local news organizations such as Inland Empire Community News, the IE Voice & Black Voice News, Redlands Community Forward, KVCR, El Informador del Valle, Raincross Gazette, the Urban Business Journal and the Inland Valley News to ensure timely, accurate and local information is made available.

“As a longtime publisher in the Inland Empire, I’ve seen firsthand how important local journalism is to the health of our communities, and how difficult it has become to sustain it. We cannot afford to lose the voices, institutions, and journalists who have spent decades telling our region’s stories. Informed IE represents an opportunity to build on that legacy, bring our news organizations together, and create the infrastructure needed for local journalism to thrive in the digital age,” said Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds, Founder and Chair of the Inland Empire Journalism Innovation Hub+Fund and Publisher of Black Voice News.

Election Results Available on Informed IE

As voters head to the polls on November 3, Informed IE will provide access to election results, offering residents a convenient destination to follow races affecting their communities. The Election Results 2026 feature represents one of the platform’s first opportunities to demonstrate how regional information can be made more accessible through a shared digital destination.

Website Now Live, Mobile App Coming Soon

The public launch of www.informedIE.com marks the first phase of Informed IE’s rollout. A dedicated mobile application is also in development and will be available for download in a future phase, expanding how residents can access news and connect with their communities.

The long-term vision includes building a digital information infrastructure that can support local journalism and community storytelling beyond the Inland Empire, with opportunities to expand the model throughout California.

A Regional Investment in the Future of Local Journalism

Informed IE is an initiative of the Inland Empire Journalism Innovation Hub+Fund, a regional collaborative housed at the Inland Empire Community Foundation.

The Hub+Fund brings together philanthropic partners, journalists, news organizations, and community leaders to strengthen locally rooted journalism throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Through grantmaking, partnerships, journalism innovation, and investments in the region’s news ecosystem, the initiative is working to ensure communities have greater access to the information they need.

“This launch is the result of a larger commitment to investing in the future of journalism in the Inland Empire,” Carmona said. “We’re grateful to the funders, partners, journalists, and community organizations who have helped us get here. This is just the beginning, and we invite the entire region to be part of what comes next.”

Residents, journalists, community organizations, and regional leaders may explore the platform at www.informedIE.com.