,,iii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #eif ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #bg1 #bjbb,mr4 ,schatz 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,casey1 and ,mrs4 ,murray7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,designating ,april #bjbb as ,preserving and ,protecting ,local ,news ,month and recognizing the importance and significance of local news4 ,whereas the ,united ,states was founded on the principle of freedom of the press enshrined in the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution of the ,united ,states1 which declares that ,congress shall make no law 4 4 4 abridging the freedom of speech1 or of the press 4 4 42 ,whereas an informed citizenry depends on accurate and unbiased news reporting to inform the judgment of the people2 ,whereas a robust1 diverse1 and sustainable local news presence leads to civic engagement and the buttressing of democratic norms and practices2 ,whereas local news serves as a necessary resource during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic to provide communities with public health information and to inform communities about available services and support from ,federal1 ,state1 local1 ,tribal1 and territorial governments2 ,whereas published guidance from the ,department of ,homeland ,security deemed journalists as essential critical infrastructure workers during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 ,whereas the absence of local news outlets and investigative reporting allows local government corruption and corporate malfeasance to go unchecked2 ,whereas local journalists help combat disinformation by using their community knowledge and connections to debunk fraudulent or misleading content2 ,whereas local cable franchises routinely provide for public educational and government access channels on their systems1 and those channels-- 7#a7 offer vital local civic programming that informs communities2 7#b7 provide news and information not often available on other local broadcast channels or cable2 7#c7 supplement local journalism2 and 7#d7 at times1 are the only source for local news2 ,whereas the people of the ,united ,states trust local news sources by a #b-to-#a margin2 ,whereas1 according to recent research-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states has lost more than #b1ajj local print outlets since #bjjd2 7#b7 more than #bjj counties in the ,united ,states have no newspaper at all1 creating a news shortage for the #c1bjj1jjj residents of those counties2 7#c7 of the remaining counties in the ,united ,states1 more than #a_/b1 or #a1ebh1 have only #a newspaper to cover populations ranging from under #a1jjj to more than #a1jjj1jjj residents2 7#d7 more than #a_/b of all ,united ,states newspapers have changed owners in the past decade1 and1 in #bjah1 only #be companies owned #b_/c of all daily newspapers2 7#e7 of the surviving #f1gjj newspapers in the ,united ,states1 at least #a1jjj qualify as ghost newspapers1 or newspapers with reporting and photography staffs that are so significantly reduced that they can no longer provide much of the breaking news or public service journalism that once informed readers about vital issues in their communities2 and 7#f7 rural counties are among the counties most deeply impacted by the loss of local reporting1 as more than #ejj of the #b1ajj newspapers that have closed or merged since #bjjd are in rural counties2 ,whereas1 while overall employment in newspaper1 television1 radio1 and digital newsrooms dropped by roughly #bf percent1 or #cj1jjj jobs1 between #bjjh and #bjbj1 the plunge in newspaper newsrooms alone was much worse at #eg percent1 or #dj1jjj jobs1 in that same time period2 ,whereas the number of news employees in the radio broadcasting industry dropped by #bb percent between #bjjd and #bjbj2 ,whereas beat reporting1 meaning the day-to-day coverage of a particular field that allows a journalist to develop expertise and cultivate sources1 has ceased to be a viable career for would-be journalists due to the decimation of newsroom budgets2 ,whereas requests submitted under section #eeb of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly referred to as ,freedom of ,information ,act requests71 by local newspapers to local1 ,state1 and ,federal agencies fell by nearly #ej percent between #bjje and #bjaj1 demonstrating a significant drop in the extent to which local reporters request government records2 ,whereas newspapers alone lost more than #ce1jjj1jjj1jjj in advertising revenue between #bjjd and #bjah2 ,whereas1 in the second quarter of #bjbj1 advertising revenue fell by a median of #bd percent for local television companies2 ,whereas the revenue of all-news radio stations dropped by #bd percent in #bjbj2 ,whereas there remains a significant gender disparity in newsroom employment1 with women comprising approximately #a_/c of staff who are #cj years of age or older2 ,whereas women who are local television news anchors and reporters1 especially women of color1 are often subject to harassment and stalking2 ,whereas1 across the ,united ,states1 there are more than #bjj newspapers published by and for ,black readers1 and1 in recent years1 many of those newspapers have seen-- 7#a7 significant losses in advertising revenue as small businesses in their communities were forced to close2 and 7#b7 circulation declines due to the closures of businesses in their communities2 ,whereas the number of ,black journalists working at daily newspapers dropped by #dj percent between #aiig and #bjad1 more than for any other demographic group2 ,whereas the number of print media sources published by and for ,american ,indian readers has shrunk dramatically in recent years1 from #gjj media outlets in #aiih to only #bjj in #bjah2 ,whereas ,tribally owned news outlets are often dependent on ,tribal governments for funding1 but most of those outlets lack the policy structure necessary to fully protect journalistic independence2 ,whereas a #bjah survey by the ,native ,american ,journalists ,association found that #hc percent of respondents believed that ,native press coverage of ,tribal government affairs was sometimes1 frequently1 or always censored2 ,whereas there are more than #eej ,latino news media outlets in the ,united ,states1 which rely primarily on a declining advertising revenue base2 ,whereas the lack of local news impacts communities that speak languages other than ,english1 which are often excluded from national media coverage2 ,whereas more than #ajj local newsrooms have closed during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 ,whereas #h percent of surveyed local radio stations reported the ,,covid-#ai pandemic ended their local news programs entirely2 ,whereas #cj percent of local television news stations reported budget cuts and staff reductions because of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 ,whereas ,,pen ,america proposed a major reimagining of the local news space in its #bjai call-to-action report1 ,losing the ,news3 ,the ,decimation of ,local ,journalism and the ,search for ,solutions1 and called on society and the ,federal ,government to urgently address the alarming demise of local journalism2 and ,whereas1 half a century ago1 ,congress perceived that the commercial television industry would not independently provide the educational and public interest broadcasting that was appropriate and necessary for the country1 and1 informed by an independent report prepared by the ,carnegie ,commission on ,educational ,television1 created the ,corporation for ,public ,broadcasting1 which has since ensured that radio and television include public interest educational and reporting programs using annually appropriated funds3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 designates ,april #bjbb as ,preserving and ,protecting ,local ,news ,month2 7#b7 affirms that local news serves an essential function in the democracy of the ,united ,states2 7#c7 recognizes local news as a public good2 and 7#d7 acknowledges the valuable contributions of local journalism towards the maintenance of healthy and vibrant communities4