Local news is dying. Per a report by Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in 2022, one-fourth of newspapers have disappeared in the country — and by 2025, that figure is expected to hit one-third. Among these are nearly half of New York state’s weekly papers, shrinking local coverage and expanding news deserts.
A state bill, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, hopes to help close that gap. Through a proposed tax credit, local newsrooms, including newspapers, web-only publications and broadcast stations, would receive funds to hire more journalists and expand local coverage.
A panel discussion led by Margaret Sullivan, former editor of The Buffalo News, public editor of The New York Times and media columnist for The Washington Post, will kick off a campaign for the bill on Nov. 15 at the Hearst Media Center in Colonie. Judy Patrick, vice president for editorial development at the New York Press Association, will moderate.
Ahead of the talk, Sullivan, who is currently a columnist with The Guardian, sat down to discuss how local journalism and the future of democracy are intertwined.
