This Senate resolution designates April 2025 as "Preserving and Protecting Local News Month." It lists many findings about local journalism, including that local news helps inform voters, supports civic life, and can help stop corruption and misinformation. The text describes large declines in local newspapers and newsroom jobs, notes risks of "news deserts" in some counties, and highlights impacts on rural areas and communities of color. The resolution also recognizes public access channels on cable systems, student journalists, and Tribal and other minority-owned outlets. The resolution was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
The resolution is a formal recognition by the Senate that local news matters. It names a month to raise awareness and acknowledges the role of local journalists and public-access channels. The text does not create new programs, funding, or regulatory changes; it records the Senate's view and the reported facts listed in the bill.
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The bill's text says local news is essential to democracy, provides vital election and community information, and helps check corruption and misinformation. It points to many specific concerns supporters raise: thousands of local outlets have closed since 2005, newsroom jobs have fallen, some counties lack any local paper, certain communities (including rural areas and Black, Latino, and Native American communities) are especially affected, and student and Tribal outlets face funding and independence challenges. Supporters frame the designation as a step to highlight these problems and the value of local journalism.
No publicly available information.