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Another complicated Washington effort to support local news | The Free Press Initiative
A Press Forward-funded report seeks wider discretion over grants and support for non-journalism groups, raising concerns about weaker safeguards for newsroom funding.
- Senate Bill 5400 aims to support roughly 150 local news outlets by taxing tech giants to raise more than $20 million annually, but a new report urges legislators to radically alter the bill, potentially weakening guardrails preventing government influence.
- Funded by Press Forward, the report proposes giving officials leeway to choose which outlets to support; WSNA members argue this approach undermines objective criteria necessary to ensure government intervention remains free from political preferences.
- Finken likened the proposal to President Donald Trump deciding which outlets can access the White House based on coverage preferences, emphasizing that legislation must feature clear, objective provisions lawmakers from both sides of the aisle can support.
- Report author Anika Anand previously worked for LION, a nonprofit that received Meta and Google funding and opposed similar legislation; the report also calls for funding non-journalism organizations, alarming local advocates.
- California and Oregon previously faced uncertainty when LION opposed similar legislation, though California eventually passed a taxpayer-funded bill; Australia and Canada have successfully implemented laws requiring platforms to fairly compensate publishers despite tech company opposition.
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Another complicated Washington effort to support local news | The Free Press Initiative
Dee Anne Finken is too diplomatic to say so outright, but she’s gobsmacked by a new report on how to support local news in Washington.
·Vashon, United States
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The government is sending proposals for changes for consultation.
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left0Leaning Right0Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution100% Center
Bias Distribution
- 100% of the sources are Center
100% Center
C 100%
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