While the death of local news has not been good for our communities, having government-subsidized media is undermining an independent media. Somehow I think that’s the intent.
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s $1.85 trillion social spending bill includes a provision that, if it becomes law, would mark the first time the federal government has offered targeted support in response to the decline of local news.
The help would come in the form of a payroll tax credit for companies that employ eligible local journalists. The measure would allow newspapers, digital news outlets and radio and television stations to claim a tax credit of $25,000 the first year and $15,000 the next four years for up to 1,500 journalists.
It’s a response to growing alarm that the elimination of newsroom jobs is leaving communities without access to critical information. The concern has grown since a hedge fund with a reputation of ruthless cost-cutting acquired Tribune, one of the nation’s largest newspaper chains, in May. Already, about one-fourth of the country’s newspapers have closed and half of local journalism jobs have evaporated in the past 15 years, according to research from the University of North Carolina.
That leaves about 1,800 communities with no local newspaper.
Since when has the media been independent? Just look at the media on their gasping coverage of the Steele shitsandwich and the ones that are now posting corrections – vs the ones that are not… CNN, et al for example. Leroy is on the record just a few weeks ago saying how verified most of the claims from Steele have been confirmed.
I mean why do we need local critical information to come from local journalists? Youtube, Facebook, Twitter are so active in removing misinformation, they can certainly be trusted to spoon feed local news!