Blumenthal Leads Call to Support Local Journalism Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
“Reliable local news and information has been critically important during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet it has become more scarce.”
[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a group of nineteen senators calling for funding to support local journalism and media in any future COVID-19 relief package. In a letter to Senate leadership, the senators warn that the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – including plummeting advertising revenue – could decimate local and regional news outlets even as communities have become increasingly reliant on their reporting amidst the public health crisis. Already news outlets have laid off or furloughed staff, and some newspapers have reduced or eliminated print editions.
“The current public health crisis has made the already vital role of local news even more critical,” the senators wrote. “Some of the most important guidance for families and businesses during this crisis has been highly localized. Local journalism has been providing communities answers to critical questions, including information on where to get locally tested, hospital capacity, road closures, essential business hours of operation, and shelter-in-place orders. During this unprecedented public health crisis, people need to have access to their trusted local news outlets for this reliable and sometimes life-saving information.”
The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Bob Casey (D-PA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Angus King (I-ME), Tom Udall (D-NM), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
“Local journalists have proven themselves to be valiant first responders during this pandemic, exposing themselves to a dangerous virus in order to get the story to the people,” said PEN America's Washington director, Thomas O. Melia. “They are 'essential workers' as many executive orders on staying at home at the state and local level have explicitly noted. The sector as a whole is suffering gravely as the nationwide shutdown has accelerated their loss of revenue. This is why we at PEN America support Senator Blumenthal's initiative to urge Senate leaders to include specific targeted stimulus relief for local journalism at this critical time.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the extraordinary value of local news outlets, which have seen huge jumps in traffic since the beginning of March. Local news stories are now among the most viewed stories in the country – even as local media fight to survive the pandemic. Without funding from the next stimulus package, we may lose one of the most important sources of information we have to navigate through this crisis,” said Lisa Macpherson, Senior Policy Fellow at Public Knowledge.
The full text of the letter is available here.
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