Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Anthony York

14. Anthony York

Anthony York has solid journalistic chops – Salon, McClatchy, LA Times and, most important of all, Capitol Weekly – but in his current role he occupies what newsies traditionally call the “dark side.” He’s the governor’s top communications advisor, helping him navigate a media landscape characterized by hyperbole and gotcha. He’s invariably a participant in high-level meetings, we’re told, and as Newsom builds a national profile, York’s duties expand, too. He’s no stranger to national politics – he covered Bush-versus-Gore and the legal aftermath for Salon. He’s quoted, but not often, preferring instead to educate reporters behind the scenes. Okay, but what about Newsom’s lack of response to California reporters working their beats? An increasingly common complaint of reporters in Sacramento is the administration’s failure to readily answer inquiries, while currying favor with the national press. Reporters whine and nobody cares, but the whine is getting louder. Anthony isn’t the only York with a journalism background: His parents, recently retired and living in Sacramento, published the Malibu Times for years, and ran Capitol Weekly from 2005 to 2012.

Updated Aug. 15, 2023