Lake County News, founded in 2006, is an award-winning, 24/7 online-only hyperlocal news publication serving rural Lake County in Northern California.
Husband and wife team John Jensen and Elizabeth Larson own and operate Lake County News. They founded the publication, which launched on Dec. 19, 2006.
Lake County News exists to address the coverage gap that resulted from corporate media gutting — and, in some cases, closing — the community’s newspapers.
We are dedicated to faithful, accurate and contextual reporting rooted in time-tested and proven journalistic practices and the highest ethical standards.
Our coverage spans a broad range of issues — including natural disasters, government, health, public safety and social issues — while maintaining a clear focus on accountability reporting.
By examining how decisions at all levels of government affect daily life, we provide essential, independent information that helps residents navigate challenges, engage in their community and make informed choices.
In 2014, Lake County News received the Society of Professional Journalists’ James Madison Award for defending the First Amendment in response to its fight to uncover the fact that a sitting sheriff’s lies had resulted in him being placed on a “Brady” list of officers who could not testify under oath by the Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
OUR TEAM
Elizabeth Larson
Elizabeth Larson is co-founder, co-owner, editor and co-publisher of Lake County News. She grew up in Northern California on a dairy farm and put together her first newspaper at the kitchen table. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the University of Montana, Missoula, and a Master's of Philosophy degree in classics from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. She has spent 30 years in publishing, and also is pastor of Kelseyville Presbyterian Church, where she was instrumental in launching a resilience center.
Email: elarson@lakeconews.com
John Jensen
John Jensen is co-founder, co-owner, co-publisher, advertising director and site administrator for Lake County News. He was raised in a family of journalists and studied print and broadcast journalism at Sonoma State University. He has primarily worked in journalism and information technology. In 2006 he built the news site lakeconews.com. He also owns and operates the Konocti Bait Shack at Lucerne Harbor Park where he fishes and performs admin functions.
Email: jjensen@lakeconews.com
Lingzi Chen
Lingzi Chen is a staff reporter at Lake County News and a 2024-2026 California Local News Fellow. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School, she covers a wide variety of topics in Lake County, from government to human interest, breaking news and health. She is a recipient of the Journalism and Women Symposium, or JAWS, 2026 Health Journalism Fellowship in which she is examining disparities and inequities in Lake County health care resulting from federal policy.
Email: lchen@lakeconews.com