Editorial: Time is running out for Congress to save local news
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Local journalism is a cornerstone of democracy. It is a vital source of information for communities across the country. Newsrooms cover local politics, high school sports, local business openings, cultural events and other matters that help a community remain vibrant and connected.
But the industry is facing an existential crisis because of the unyielding power of Big Tech platforms such as Google and Facebook.
With less than four weeks left in this Congress, now is the time for the Senate to pass the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA). The JCPA was favorably reported out of committee Sept. 22 with strong bipartisan support and must head to the floor for a vote. The JCPA would hold tech giants accountable and provide a necessary lifeline for local papers, requiring Big Tech to compensate small and local outlets for the use of their content.
The tech giants have built their empires by profiting off the hard work of journalists without fairly compensating them. As local publications struggle to stay afloat, Big Tech has only doubled down on their anti-competitive practices. That has further consolidated their control over the flow of information.
This is fundamentally unfair, and the JCPA would bring about much-needed change.
The JCPA would benefit small and local publishers exclusively and impose severe penalties if the tech platforms do not negotiate with them in good faith. The bill has a limited scope of six years to address a broken marketplace, while the broader competitive landscape is fixed through other legislation and the courts.
The JCPA would also incentivize publishers to hire more journalists and protect our constitutional freedoms of speech and the press. The bill’s scope is limited to compensation and would not allow for negotiations around display of news content — it would serve only to ensure fair compensation for local news outlets. The JCPA has strict transparency requirements on the terms of each agreement reached between tech platforms and journalism providers and would establish clarity in how news outlets spend the funds they receive.
Thousands of hometown papers from across the political spectrum, as well as Democrats and Republicans in Congress, support the JCPA. Moreover, in these highly polarized times, polling data found that 70% of Americans support the JCPA. The JCPA has such broad support because, ultimately, it is about basic fairness.
The time to take action is dwindling. If Congress does not act soon, we risk allowing social media to become America’s de facto local newspaper.
The Senate must advance the JCPA to the Senate floor for a vote before the end of the year to rein in Big Tech and restore fairness to local journalism — one of the most important checks and balances we have against corporate power and government corruption — before it’s too late.
This editorial was written by the Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.).