CalMatters CEO Neil Chase speaks with lawmakers following the nonprofit organization’s Digital Democracy Summit in Sacramento. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.

Statewide — Three California lawmakers, all trained and experienced journalists, weighed in on a political and media controversy sparked after a CalMatters reporter questioned whether the Louis Vuitton bag Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D–Inglewood) was carrying at a public event was “real or fake.”

On Jan. 20, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D–Santa Cruz) and Sens. Catherine Blakespear (D–Encinitas) and Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D–Los Angeles) participated in a CalMatters discussion titled “Digital Democracy Summit 2026.”

During the event, the lawmakers offered their perspectives on the reporter’s controversial question.

Smallwood-Cuevas, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), said the inquiry about McKinnor’s handbag had nothing to do with policy.

“I thought, where is this coming from? Why this member (of the legislature)? I also thought of all the questions that we need answers to … this was not a question we needed to discuss,” Smallwood-Cuevas said.

Smallwood-Cuevas continued, “In this time, where our democracy is being threatened, where we understand the level of misinformation, where newsrooms are just blatantly under attack, and propaganda is being promoted in a way, where is the balance in reporting?”

The question, which CalMatters later said originated with an editor, ignited a broader debate about race, gender, newsroom judgment, and journalistic standards, drawing criticism from elected officials, journalists, and advocacy groups nationwide. The incident has also been referenced in a number of news articles and online discussions about bias, newsroom accountability, and the role of political journalism in an era of heightened misinformation and public distrust.

Right after the incident, McKinnor publicly criticized CalMatters on her Facebook page, calling the inquiry “racist bullsh*t.”

After the issue attracted national attention, Neil Chase, the CEO of CalMatters, said he reached out to McKinnor.

Chase, who moderated the summit, told California Black Media (CBM) that CalMatters is reviewing its standards to ensure future inquiries avoid bias.

Pellerin also commented on the incident, saying that had she been the reporter, she would have pushed back on the editor who instructed her to ask the question.

“There should never be a reason to ask a legislator about their attire or accessories, their bodies, their hair, or any of that,” Pellerin said. “We are here to do policy. We are here to represent our communities. What we’re carrying or what we look like should not be relevant.”

Blakespear, who has been a vocal proponent of using public funds to support local journalism, said she was not “totally up to speed” on the McKinnor incident and could not respond without knowing all of the facts.

However, drawing from her journalism background, Blakespear said it was somewhat unusual to ask a legislator such a question.

“I agree that it does seem inappropriate,” Blakespear told CBM.

All three lawmakers said they frequently draw on skills gained as journalists — including investigative research, public communication, and storytelling — to strengthen their work as policymakers and better connect with constituents.

Smallwood-Cuevas began her journalism career after graduating from California State University, Hayward, now known as CSU East Bay. She reported for the Oakland Tribune, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and later the Chicago Tribune, where she covered the city’s poorest neighborhoods on the South Side.

Her reporting focused on working families before she began integrating journalism with union activism in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She worked with SEIU Local 1877, founded the Center for the Advancement of Racial Equity at Work at the UCLA Labor Center, and co-founded the Los Angeles Black Worker Center before being elected to the state Senate in 2022.

“There’s a lot of connections between what I do now and what I did as a reporter,” Smallwood-Cuevas said. “(Such as) listening to people, asking questions, and trying to find truth, (and) trying to write things in a way that makes people’s lives better.”

Pellerin graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly, SLO), with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism in 1984. Early in her career, she worked as a newspaper reporter and photographer at the Santa Maria Times and the Santa Ynez Valley News.

She later served as a community college instructor before beginning her public service career as the Santa Cruz County clerk, according to her legislative website.

Blakespear graduated from Northwestern University, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism, and later attended law school at the University of Utah.

Blakespear began her journalism career at the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press in the early 2000s, working as a reporter and editor. Blakespear covered local government and legal issues in Orange County before transitioning into law and politics. She later served as mayor of Encinitas and as a member of the city council.

During the panel discussion, the lawmakers emphasized how digital journalism and social media have fundamentally transformed the news industry while creating systemic challenges for traditional newsrooms.

They also underscored the importance of fair, balanced, and accurate political reporting, saying such practices build public trust, maintain credibility, and provide citizens with the information necessary for a functioning democracy.

“Journalism taught me the rigors of truth searching, the rigors of being able to understand the problem, and the rigors of trying to understand solutions,” Smallwood-Cuevas said. “All of that is involved with our First Amendment rights, which is whether we have enough information to govern and make decisions about our lives.”