Nearly precisely 233 years in the past, on Feb. 20, 1792, President George Washington signed the Postal Act into regulation.
The intent was to do extra than simply ship mail. The act sponsored the newspaper trade, delivering papers at a lowered value, as a result of the Founding Fathers believed supporting a free press that knowledgeable voters was important to self governance.
Right now the impartial, free press system is struggling however nonetheless offering important native journalism. It’s battered by financial and technological disruption however discovering new methods to function and serve a public that’s consuming information in several methods.
As soon as once more, the federal government should make sure the survival of the press by means of a interval of change.
This can’t wait. Greater than a 3rd of local newspapers closed over the past 20 years, leaving greater than half of U.S. counties with little to no native protection. Rural and suburban areas are significantly onerous hit.
Washington misplaced 28% of its native newspapers between 2004 and 2024, in keeping with a tally by Northwestern College’s Medill College. Employment on the state’s remaining newspapers is down by round two-thirds.
The state named after our first president, and one of many authentic proponents of supporting the free press, has taken this disaster critically. Washington’s state and federal elected officers have proven sturdy management in pursuing options to assist save the native information trade and journalism jobs.
Washington’s Legislature is now contemplating a proposal that might tremendously assist maintain and develop its native information ecosystem, together with broadcasters, digital information retailers and newspapers.
Senate Invoice 5400 would create a $20 million annual grant program offering as much as $15,000 per journalist at skilled, native information organizations. State officers would don’t have any say over what’s lined by grant recipients.
This system could be funded with a modest enhance on a enterprise tax surcharge paid by the state’s main expertise corporations.
Tech corporations have paid this surcharge to complement increased training funding, which advantages the businesses by producing extra educated graduates and growing the state’s vitality.
Elevating the surcharge to fund native journalism, by a most of $6 million for the most important corporations, is an analogous funding within the mental improvement and civic well being of the place that fosters these corporations’ development and helps them recruit top-tier expertise.
State Sen. Marko Liias, an Edmonds Democrat, deserves kudos for drafting this inventive proposal and listening to out the issues of these it’s going to have an effect on.
Liias and different legislators are additionally listening to, loud and clear, from Washingtonians who need the state to assist save native journalism. Greater than 400 signed as much as testify in favor of SB 5400 throughout its first listening to, on Jan. 28.
It is a difficult yr for the Legislature with many competing priorities. However SB 5400 is a simple proposal that’s comparatively low-cost in comparison with the broad and lasting advantages it’s going to present.
This received’t clear up all the issues going through information organizations however it’s going to assist protect newsroom jobs and maintain native information suppliers.
Federal laws continues to be wanted to offer help for native journalism nationwide, such because the tax credit proposed within the bipartisan Community News and Small Business Support Act.
Information organizations should even be pretty compensated by tech platforms cashing in on their work. That features AI companies drawing on information retailers’ pricey investments in journalism to coach their giant language fashions.
In the meantime, Washington state can present management, identical to its namesake, to bolster its native information trade, help voters that rely on skilled journalism and strengthen democracy.
Please get SB 5400 executed this yr, earlier than extra information organizations and newsroom jobs are misplaced, leaving extra Washington communities at nighttime.
