By Doug LaRocque
For Capital Region Independent Media
The Empire State Local News Coalition, a statewide advocacy group of more than 150 local news outlets and elected officials, rallied at the state Capitol in support of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act on Wednesday, March 20.
The industry-saving bill, sponsored by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, provides tax credits to local news outlets for the employment of local news journalists.
Elected officials in attendance included Hoylman-Sigal, Sen. Monica Martinez, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, and Assemblyman David Weprin. The New York State Senate included the bill in its One House budget resolution, a major sign of the bill’s growing support in the Legislature.
Lawmakers have until the April 1 deadline to enact the 2025 state budget. The rally signals growing pressure on lawmakers to offer a lifeline to the local news industry, which has experienced a significant downturn over the past two decades.
New York state has experienced a 50% decrease in the number of newspapers since 2004, resulting in thousands of lost jobs and stories. There is a growing number of communities with little to no access to local newspaper coverage: 13 New York counties are down to just one newspaper and Orleans County is the first with no local newspaper at all.
“It’s been said that democracy dies in darkness. A thriving local news industry is vital to the health of our democracy, so I’m proud that our Local Journalism Sustainability Act (S.625C) is in the Senate’s one house budget and I’m hopeful that through it we can establish a payroll tax credit to help keep our community news outlets afloat,” Hoylman-Sigal said.
Capped at $20 million statewide, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act is a bipartisan bill that provides payroll tax credits for the employment of local news journalists. Under the legislation, news organizations would receive a 50% refundable tax credit against the first $50,000 of each newsroom employee’s salary, up to $200,000 per outlet. This benefit would be limited to print and online newspapers and broadcasters with 100 employees or less and that cover local community news.
The bill will be crucial for incentivizing job creation, returning reporters to many of the state’s newsrooms that are becoming increasingly desolate, advocates said.
“The fight to save local news is a fight to save our democracy,” said Zachary Richner, founder of the Empire State Local News Coalition. “Hometown papers deliver the hyperlocal updates and investigations necessary to sustain a community’s civic and financial well-being. As local news declines, critical stories are lost and communities become more polarized. We’re proud to have the Senate’s support and we call on Gov. [Kathy] Hochul and the Assembly to support this industry-saving bill and protect critical newsroom jobs.”
Mark Vinciguerra, president and owner of Capital Region Independent Media, which publishes the Ravena News-Herald, supported the legislation.
“Across the state, local media is at risk – community pillars for generations worth saving,” Vinciguerra said. “One of my publications dates back to 1815 and this bill will go a long way toward ensuring it continues to run.”
Julie Fedler, advertising director at NYVT Media, which is owned by Capital Region Independent Media, said the bill will help local newspapers shine a light on the local stories readers want.
“This bill would be a significant game-changer,” Fedler said. “While we are proud that we haven’t missed an issue since COVID, we all know that local newspaper subscriptions were already dwindling. Having fewer local reporters hasn’t inspired new subscribers but we pivot and continue to strive to serve our communities. Having a resource like this would put feet on the street to engage with our communities, to deliver our people the news they deserve and to give them a voice.”
