Your Local Voice
Reporting What Matters Most
We cover the issues that impact our community, ensuring everyone is heard.
Meet Lizzie
East of 52 was founded and is led by Lizzie Bly, an independent journalist committed to watchdog reporting and community accountability.
Lizzie’s path to journalism began with a strong foundation in law, public policy, and business — an academic and professional background that sharpened her ability to navigate complex systems, analyze data, and ask the questions others overlook. That experience, combined with years of investigative research and reporting, drives her work today: exposing how decisions are made, where public money goes, and how policies impact East County residents.
Lizzie’s path to journalism began with a strong foundation in law, public policy, and business — an academic and professional background that sharpened her ability to navigate complex systems, analyze data, and ask the questions others overlook. That experience, combined with years of investigative research and reporting, drives her work today: exposing how decisions are made, where public money goes, and how policies impact East County residents.
As founder, editor, and lead journalist, Lizzie brings a rare combination of persistence, independence, and local focus. She has filed and analyzed countless public records, reviewed audits line by line, and built investigations from documents, data, and interviews. Her reporting holds power to account while also giving voice to communities too often left out of the broader San Diego media spotlight.
What sets Lizzie apart is her perspective: she’s not just a reporter looking in from the outside, but someone who understands the stakes for families, schools, and neighborhoods east of the 52. That lived connection fuels her commitment to telling the stories that matter — with accuracy, transparency, and depth.
East of 52 reflects that vision: a newsroom built to serve, inform, and hold accountable, rooted in independence and community trust.
“I started East of 52 because I saw how often our communities were left out of the story. I believe local journalism should follow the paper trails, sit in the council chambers, and ask the questions that matter. My commitment to you is straightforward: to keep East County informed, with facts first.”
Why East of 52?
“East of 52 was never meant to be just another news site. It was built because this region deserves its own record, its own accountability, and its own voice.
Too often, East County stories stop at the surface — if they’re covered at all. My goal is to change that. Journalism should be relentless in asking questions, thorough in examining records, and clear in explaining why it all matters.
For me, this isn’t just about reporting the news. It’s about ensuring East County has a newsroom that serves the community first — with accuracy, transparency, and independence at the core.”
Principles of Reporting
The values guiding my work are simple but non-negotiable:
Accuracy over speed — getting it right matters more than getting it first.
Transparency in sources and records — trust comes from showing the work.
Independence from influence — no corporate owners, no political strings.
Accountability through follow-up — the story doesn’t end at publication.
Clarity and context — news should be understandable and useful, not just noise.
Beyond the Byline
Lizzie is more than just a journalist — she is also a researcher, a veteran, and a lifelong learner. Her perspective comes from lived experience and a deep connection to community life in East County. Away from reporting, she finds balance in the outdoors, in study, and in the same persistence that fuels her investigations.