There have been some rather disingenuous attempts to “help” journalism by state and federal officials who wanted a degree of control in recent years.
However, new bipartisan legislation introduced July 16 is a hand up – not a hand out – and deserves the public’s support.
U.S. Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) and Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) introduced the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, to help preserve community journalistic endeavors throughout the United States, according to a release. Joining them as cosponsors of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act are 12 other representatives from both parties.
It’s no secret that local news outlets already faced financial difficulties before the onset of COVID-19. In the wake of the severe economic consequences of the pandemic, the industry is facing further challenges in order to remaining sustainable.
“Local journalism is a bedrock pillar of communities across the United States,” Kirkpatrick said. “We need to make sure these publications can sustain themselves through this crisis and beyond, and I believe the tax credits in this bill make significant progress in providing a pathway to that sustainability.”
“Local journalists and newspapers are essential to ensuring the public remains informed,” Newhouse said. “Local news is crucial – particularly within our rural communities – and local journalists provide in-depth perspectives that inform their readership regarding current events.”
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act offers a series of three tax-credits aimed at bolstering local newspapers and media.
* Credit for local newspaper subscriptions. This five-year nonrefundable tax credit of up to $250 annually would help cover the costs of subscribing to local newspapers, which is defined as print and online publications that primarily produce content related to local news and current events. (That would certainly include the Cherokee Scout.)
* Payroll credit for compensation of journalists. This five-year refundable credit would provide local newspapers a tax credit of up to $50,000 annually to employ journalists.
* Credit for advertising in local newspapers and local media. This five-year non-refundable tax credit incentivizes small- to medium-size businesses to advertise with local newspapers, as well as local radio and television stations, with $5,000 in the first year, $2,500 in each of the next four years.
This legislation is well though out, comprehensive and provides the bridge for journalism to achieve a stable footing in a digital reality. It will help newspapers deal with the impacts of COVID-19 – after all, when businesses are closed, they have little reason to advertise.
“Keeping journalists active in our communities has become the hardest task for community newspapers in this challenging era. A lot is at stake in our democracy right now,” said Matt Adelman, president of the National Newspaper Association. “The NNA applauds the creativity of Reps. Kirkpatrick and Newhouse, and their colleagues, in helping us find new ways to support journalism.”
Please encourage your representatives in Congress to support this bill and help local journalists continue to serve the communities we love.
David Brown is the regional publisher for The Graham Star. He can be reached by phone, (828) 837-5122; email, dbrown@cherokeescout.com, or on Twitter, @daviddBstroh.