Capitol Weekly’s Top 100: Ashley Zavala

92. Ashley Zavala

It was only a few years ago that we dubbed Zavala the “Oh Shit” reporter because a staffer told us that was their first thought if they stepped out of their office and saw her coming toward them with a camera and a microphone. That has apparently now become her moniker, one she says she wears with pride. We’re glad to see she hasn’t changed, because the Capitol needs reporters that are willing to push for answers, especially when lawmakers are doing their best to avoid giving them. In recent years her reporting on issues like child sex trafficking and the use of non-disclosure agreements has played a significant role in resulting legislation on both those issues. While Zavala has her critics, she is widely respected among her peers, both for her skills as a reporter and as someone who has been a champion for her fellow journalists via her work in leadership of the Capitol Correspondents Association of California. She has also gone out of her way to nurture the next generation of reporters in her work with the Sacramento Press Club.

Updated Aug. 26, 2025