Future of Local News Act

The Future of Local News Act of 2021 (S. 1601) is a bill introduced into the United States Senate on May 13, 2021, by Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) with a companion bill (H.R. 3169) introduced into the United States House of Representatives by Marc Veasey (D-Texas).[1] It was officially described as a reintroduction of the "Future of Local News Commission Act of 2020" (S.4772), which had been introduced September 30, 2020, by Schatz, Bennet, and Klobuchar;[2] the primary (and perhaps only) difference between the 2020 and 2021 bills were changing the word "Commission" to "Committee" and deleting it from the title. This group would be required "to examine and report on the role of local news gathering in sustaining democracy in the United States and the factors contributing to the demise of local journalism, and to propose policies and mechanisms that could reinvigorate local news to meet the critical information needs of the people of the United States in the 21st century." The majority and minority leaders of both chambers of Congress, and the Chairs of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the National Endowment for Humanities would each select two members, and the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media would select a thirteenth member. This study group would have a budget of a million dollars to produce a report within a year of their first meeting.

Future of Local News Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleTo establish the Future of Local News Committee to examine and report on the role of local news gathering in sustaining democracy in the United States and the factors contributing to the demise of local journalism, and to propose policies and mechanisms that could reinvigorate local news to meet the critical information needs of the people of the United States in the 21st century.
Announced inthe 117th United States Congress
Number of co-sponsors5
Legislative history

Media commentary

Maui Now[3] and Inside Radio[4] noted that this bill is designed to recommend responses to the problem of news deserts.[5] News & Tech said that Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) supports offering "about $2.3 billion worth of tax credits and grants for local newspapers and broadcasters as part of President Biden's infrastructure plan".[6]

The Poynter Institute said, "The bill has been endorsed by major journalism organizations including PEN America, the Society of Professional Journalists, Local Independent Online News Publishers and the NewsGuild."[7]

Legislative History
Congress Short title Bill number(s) Date introduced Sponsor(s) # of cosponsors Latest status
117th Congress Future of Local News Act of 2021. H.R.3169 May 12, 2021 Ro Khanna(D-CA) 5 Referred to Committees of Jurisdiction.
S.1601 May 12, 2021 Brian Schatz(D-HW) 2 Referred to Committees of Jurisdiction.

Notes
  1. Schatz, Veasey, Bennet, Klobuchar Reintroduce Legislation To Bolster Local Journalism, 13 May 2021, Wikidata Q106890410.
  2. Future of Local News Act of 2020, 30 September 2020, Wikidata Q106890696.
  3. "US Sen. Schatz Reintroduces Legislation to Bolster Struggling Local News Industry". Maui Now. 13 May 2021. Wikidata Q106890986.
  4. "Congress Proposes Panel To Study State Of Local News". Inside Radio. 17 May 2021. Wikidata Q106891714.
  5. Shiva Stella also noted that, "More than three million Americans lack access to a local paper", describing the same problem without using the term "News desert". Shiva Stella (13 May 2021). "Press Release Public Knowledge Commends Congress for Bill Establishing Independent Committee to Bolster Local News". Public Knowledge. Wikidata Q106893536.
  6. "Future of Local News Act reintroduced". News and Tech. 17 May 2021. ISSN 2150-6884. Wikidata Q106893177. See also Cindy Durham (12 May 2021). "Sen. Cantwell to ask Biden Administration to include $2.3 billion for newspapers, broadcasters in infrastructure plan". America's Newspapers. Wikidata Q106893474.
  7. Kristen Hare; Angela Fu; Rick Edmonds; Ren LaForme (14 May 2021). "Legislators have reintroduced a bill to examine the state of local journalism". Poynter Institute. Wikidata Q106893579.
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