Soumya Karlamangla

I’m a San Francisco-based reporter for The New York Times, focused on California news and culture. I write a daily newsletter about the state called California Today.

What I Cover

I’m fascinated by California. The state’s vastness and complexity make it endlessly interesting to me as a journalist. I love reporting from new corners of the state and being reminded of how many people with different perspectives and origins live here. I’m dedicated to reflecting that diversity in my reporting. I hope to write stories that explain the state to people who live here, and also to those who don’t but are interested in how California shapes national conversations.

My Background

Before joining The Times in 2021, I worked as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times for eight years. There, I covered Los Angeles politics and culture, the rollout of the Affordable Care Act as well as devastating fires and mass shootings across California, including one in my hometown, Thousand Oaks, in 2018.

I spent most of my years at the Los Angeles Times as a health care reporter and extensively covered the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on California. I was named a Livingston Award finalist in 2021 for excellence in local reporting for my stories on a nurse in Los Angeles who died of Covid-19.

I recently moved from Los Angeles to the Bay Area, a place I hadn’t lived since my college years at the University of California, Berkeley. While I’ve quickly become the world’s biggest fan of San Francisco’s stunning Golden Gate Park, I’m still making a (somewhat painful) adjustment to its less sunny climes.

Journalistic Ethics

I work hard to make my stories fair and accurate, and to understand issues from multiple angles. I don’t accept gifts, money or favors from anyone who might figure into my reporting, and I always identify myself when I am working as a reporter for The Times. I’m committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook.

• Email: soumya.karlamangla@nytimes.com

• X: @skarlamangla

• Anonymous tips: nytimes.com/tips