Published July 8, 2020
Updates:
Read July 16 announcement from Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Arizona, about H.R. 7640.
Read announcement from Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) about H.R. 7640
Legislation to help local journalism exist and transition during a time of COVID-19 is being introduced and America's Newspapers is calling on its members to encourage their Congressional representatives to sign on as co-sponsors of this important bill.
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act (H.R. 7640) is bipartisan legislation that will provide an assist, not a hand out, to key local stakeholders that directly support local journalism.
U.S. Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona) and Dan Newhouse (R-Washington) are the chief co-sponsors of this legislation..
Members are being encouraged to personally pick up the phone, email and communicate with their lawmakers and ask them directly to take a leadership role on this bill and sign up as an original co-sponsor.
Below you will find a link to a sample email containing talking points for a phone call or email that America's Newspapers is asking members to make/send to their Congressional representatives. You also will find the Dear Colleague email that was sent by Reps. Kirkpatrick and Newhouse to members of the House of Representatives, as well as contact information for Congressional representatives.
Dear Colleage email sent to Members of Congress by Reps. Kirkpatrick and Newhouse
Sample email that you can send to your representatives (or talking points for a phone call)
Find contact information for your Congressional representatives here
This legislation is well thought out, comprehensive and provides the bridge for journalism to achieve a stable footing in a digital reality. It will help newspapers deal with the impacts of COVID-19 ... and every provision of this bill sunsets in a few years.
As you will note, this legislation drives three key stakeholders that support the ecosystem of local journalism — citizens, business owners and journalists.
We have approximately one week to get members of the House of Representatives — your congressman or woman — on board as a lead sponsor of the legislation. We need a broad group of Republicans and Democrats to support this important bill — right out of the gate — so that we can demonstrate to the Congressional leadership that this is a serious legislative endeavor.
For more information, contact Dean Ridings, CEO of America's Newspapers, at dridings@newspapers.org or 847-282-9850, ext. 105.
