Congress Urged to Act as Local Journalism Crisis Deepens

Proposed legislation and public policies could provide lifeline for struggling news industry

Over 115 journalists were laid off from the Los Angeles Times last week, prompting a national outcry and a letter from 10 members of Congress.
Two bills aimed at saving journalism jobs and ensuring fair compensation from tech giants are currently held up in Washington, D.C.
Local newspapers are closing at an alarming rate, with more than 40,000 newsroom jobs lost over the last two decades and roughly a third of the country's newspapers gone.
Several states are considering or have passed policies to help local journalism, but a federal solution is needed to ensure citizens nationwide are informed.
Proposed solutions include tax credits for newsroom jobs, tax credits for small businesses that advertise in local news, and a local news coupon system.