It’s no secret that local journalism is in deep trouble. More than two newspapers are disappearing each week, on average, and more than a fifth of Americans live in “news deserts” — communities that have lost, or are in the process of losing, their local news providers. As a result, lies and other misinformation proliferate, damaging American democracy.
Much of the money that once supported local journalism now goes to Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Meta Platforms’ Facebook. These social media companies often build user engagement by linking to the work of local journalists but typically siphon off ads and other revenues for themselves. Predictably, they want to keep it that way.
Faced with a bipartisan bill that would have helped to level the playing field, the tech giants flexed their lobbying muscles last week and succeeded in getting it shelved — at least for the moment. We’re staying hopeful despite the setback because the bill is so badly needed.
