A bill that would provide California newsrooms with tax credits based on how many journalists they employ was passed this week by California’s Senate and Assembly. The measure, California’s Community NEWS Act, now sits on the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Two NewsGuild-CWA locals, Media Guild of the West and Pacific Media Workers Guild, were part of a coalition led by Rebuild Local News that has advocated for the bill since it was first introduced in February.
“Journalism isn’t possible without actual journalists,” said Sean Emery, the president of Media Guild of the West. “And by making it easier for local newsroom leaders to hire and retain journalists, this bill is a key step in beginning to reverse years of devastating newsroom cuts and a news crisis that has threatened community trust and civic health. That is why we have joined an unprecedented coalition of media supporters in urging Gov. Newsom to support the Community NEWS Act and make sure California communities get the news coverage they deserve.”
The measure would provide job retention credits of up to $20,000 each year for every employed journalist and create a $15,000 credit for every new journalist hired. If signed into law, the bill could serve as a model for other legislation offering critical support to newsrooms nationwide.
The U.S. has lost more than 80% of its local journalists since 2002. Back then, the U.S. had about 40 local journalists for every 100,000 residents. Today that number has fallen to just 7.8, leaving many communities without reliable sources of information.
“Any serious effort to save local news has to start with supporting the people who do the work of journalism – work that can uphold democracy by ensuring people have reliable information in real time,” said Annie Sciacca, the president of the Pacific Media Workers Guild. “Much like education and librarianship, journalism is an information science that produces a real public good. This bill acknowledges that and aims to help solve the funding problem.”
“Gov. Gavin Newsom must sign this legislation,” said NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss. “California should follow the examples of New York and Illinois which also created tax credits to support journalism jobs. We will continue to fight for America’s journalists and fight for everyone’s right to access a free and independent press.”
You can support the bill get signed into law by:
- Bringing attention to the bill: Cover it through news stories, editorials, op-eds and social media posts.
- Urging journalism associations to support the bill: Request that any journalism associations or trade groups you’re part of join the effort to get the bill signed into law.
- Adding your voice to our coalition letter: Fill out this Google Form by Sept. 4 to add your organization to the letter of support that we will send to the Governor’s office.
Photo: The staff of Embarcadero Media (covering the San Francisco Peninsula and East Bay) when they unionized in 2023