In an annual ritual of local politics and media, the new public affairs fellows at Coro Southern California have begun their nine-month climb into positions of influence. Coro alumni include Phil Angelides, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Councilman Alex Padilla and several members of the Villaraigosa administration, including chief of staff Robin Kramer, Board of Public Works president Cynthia Ruiz and press deputy Ben Golombek. This week the fellows — carrying degrees from Oxford, Vassar, Stanford, UCLA and USC among others — go in the field to ask questions about how the media function here. To kick off their week, I was invited downtown this morning to be interviewed about how news is changing, the role of blogs and issues of media consolidation. Sessions are off the record, but I can say where else they are going to hear from more qualified people who actually know stuff. After me they met with Julian Do of New American Media and Pat Duffy of KFWB. Tomorrow they are seeing Natalie Reyes of Azteca America, Bonnie Spence of Warner Bros, Hugh Hewitt of KRLA and Warren Olney of KCRW. The rest of their itinerary is after the jump:

Monday
Michael Donaldson with Donaldson & Hart
Monica Lozano with La Opinión
Bill Davis, Nick Roman and Kitty Felde with Southern California Public Radio

Tuesday
Phillip Rodriquez - USC Documetary Filmmaker
Jymm Adams - KTLA