Pauline Bartolone
Editor-at-Large

Pauline’s been a journalist for two decades, covering health care, education and the many disparities that exist in California.
For CapRadio, Pauline produced the podcast “Making Meadowview,” a series of stories about how people in one South Sacramento neighborhood overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
Pauline was CapRadio’s health care reporter for four years, a founding reporter for CalMatters and a staff journalist at Kaiser Health News. Her work has aired frequently on NPR, and her byline has appeared in many national and California-based outlets, such as WashingtonPost.com, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Daily Beast, CNN.com and Scientific American.
But Pauline’s true passion is long-form radio. She’s won multiple regional Edward R. Murrow awards, national recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists and a first-place prize from the Association of Health Care Journalists.
For the better part of a decade, Pauline freelanced from Latin America. Her reporting on melting glaciers in the Ecuadorian Andes was part of a George Polk award-winning radio series in 2006.
When she’s not producing stories, Pauline is getting crafty, practicing the Brazilian martial art of capoeira and chasing around her young daughter.
Pauline has a master's degree in journalism from UC Berkeley.
Sacramento County Hospitals 'At Capacity' As COVID-19 Surge Continues
August 27, 2021
Sacramento County Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said patients may need to be moved to other counties.
Sacramento Parents Are Concerned About Children Falling Behind, COVID-19 Poll Finds
May 10, 2021
In a recent Valley Vision and CapRadio survey, 70% of parents said they were concerned about their kids falling behind academically during the pandemic. More than 40% were “extremely” or “very” concerned.
How These Small Businesses In Sacramento Are Surviving The COVID-19 Economy
April 19, 2021
While many small business owners around the country have closed during the pandemic, these Sacramento entrepreneurs have stayed afloat thanks to some grit, ingenuity and community support. Here’s how they did it.
Many Sacramento Students Are Choosing To Continue Learning At Home Despite School Openings
April 9, 2021
About half of Sacramento City Unified School District students chose to go back to class in April. But the decision to stay in distance learning varies widely by race and grade level — with Asian-American students most likely to stay online.
‘Coming Back to God’: Religious Leaders Say Sacramentans Relied More On Faith During Pandemic
March 30, 2021
People leaned heavily into their faith communities over the past year to help them through the COVID-19 crisis and explain the turmoil. National polling suggests that experience may be widespread.
Now Is Time To Help Students Learning English As A Second Language, Experts Say
February 25, 2021
Students who are learning English, nearly one-fifth of California’s public school population, are falling behind more than their peers during the pandemic, recent research suggests.
Number Of 'Significantly Disengaged' Kids At Sacramento Public Schools Has Skyrocketed During The Pandemic
February 15, 2021
Before the pandemic closed schools, only a few dozen kids at Sacramento City Unified schools missed three days a week of school or more. Now, that number is almost a thousand.
How The Sacramento Zoo Is Working To Keep Animals Free Of COVID-19
January 14, 2021
In light of gorillas at the San Diego Zoo testing positive for COVID-19, Sacramento zookeepers say they haven’t had to deal with a case. When it comes to safety, rules that apply to humans, mostly apply to animals, they say.
Stay-At-Home Orders Extended In San Joaquin Valley, Southern California As COVID-19 Cases 'Stretch' Hospitals
December 29, 2020
Regional stay at home orders have been extended for the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California regions as health facilities statewide have seen a 35.1% increase in ICU admissions over the last two weeks, state health officials said Tuesday.
Massive COVID-19 Vaccination Effort Begins at California Nursing Homes
December 28, 2020
Pharmacists and other health care workers are setting up vaccination clinics at nursing homes across California today to inoculate residents and their caregivers against the novel coronavirus.