Joshua Bote

Joshua Bote is a reporter focusing on the nexus of culture, trends, and digital phenomena within San Francisco.
Previously, he covered technology for The San Francisco Standard and SFGate. He’s also served as a trending news reporter at USA Today, and as a music writer at NPR. His work has been published in places like New York Magazine, Billboard, and Paste.
How Santa Rosa’s ‘Peanuts’ museum became the Bay Area’s trendiest tourist trap
Gen Z would die for Snoopy. They’ll even go to Santa Rosa
Someone peed in the pit at Chase Center during the Sabrina Carpenter show this weekend
We spoke to several witnesses about the incident
Our favorite horny copypasta texts from the election (so far)
For your copy/pasting pleasure
San Francisco Chronicle staffers asked to sign buyout agreement that likely includes an illegal clause
About five percent of the Chronicle's staff were approved to take a buyout, first offered at the beginning of the month
Dregs One’s second annual History of the Bay Day was a love letter to Bay Area rap
With performances from Kamaiyah and Souls of Mischief, the festival was a crucial celebration of the Bay’s one-of-one hip-hop scene
Fake Fleet Week ads on bus stops around the city call out US role in Gaza violence
One of the ads shows a photo of Air Force serviceman Aaron Bushnell lighting himself on fire in protest of Israel’s killing of civilians
Exclusive: The San Francisco Chronicle offers voluntary buyouts to staff
The city’s paper of record is making the offer in anticipation of a ‘challenging’ 2025, according to memos viewed by Gazetteer
Chatbot service Character.ai takes down school shooting, ‘Diddy party’ simulators after Gazetteer inquiry
The company was valued at $1 billion last year, and recently announced a harder pivot into chatbots
To hell with Portola and Folsom — this weekend, I got my kicks at a yo-yo party thrown by a folk star
This weekend, a quieter fun was had, far from the loud noises of Portola Festival
The Dare is a lot of fun — but illustrates the letdown of indie sleaze 2.0
Some nostalgia is maybe better left in the past (even if you weren’t old enough the first time)