,,iii  #aag? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 ,,res4 #eif  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!
 ,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,april #bg1 #bjbb,mr4 
,s*atz 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,book]1 ,mr4    
,blum5?al1 ,ms4 ,baldw91 ,mr4 ,wyd51    
,mr4 ,padilla1 ,mr4 ,m>key1 ,ms4        
,klobu*>1 ,mr4 ,br[n1 ,mr4 ,casey1 &    
,mrs4 ,murray7 submitt$ ! foll[+        
resolution2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee
 on ! ,judici>y  ,,resolution           
,designat+ ,april #bjbb z ,pres]v+ &    
,protect+ ,local ,news ,mon? & recogniz+
 ! importance & significance ( local    
news4  ,:]eas ! ,unit$ ,/ates 0 f\nd$ on
 ! pr9ciple ( fre$om ( ! press en%r9$ 9 
! ,fir/ ,am5dm5t to ! ,con/itution ( !  
,unit$ ,/ates1 :i* decl>es t ,congress  
%all make no law 4 4 4 abridg+ ! fre$om 
( spee*1 or ( ! press 4 4 42 ,:]eas an  
in=m$ citiz5ry dep5ds on accurate &     
unbias$ news report+ to in=m ! judgm5t (
 ! p2 ,:]eas a robu/1 div]se1 &         
su/a9able local news pres5ce leads to   
civic engagem5t & ! buttress+ (         
democratic norms & practices2 ,:]eas    

local news s]ves z a necess>y res\rce   
dur+ ! ,,covid-#ai p&emic to provide    
communities ) public heal? in=mation &  
to in=m communities ab\t available      
s]vices & support f ,f$]al1 ,/ate1      
local1 ,tribal1 & t]ritorial gov]nm5ts2 
,:]eas publi%$ guidance f ! ,dep>tm5t ( 
,homel& ,security deem$ j\rnali/s z     
ess5tial critical infra/ructure work]s  
dur+ ! ,,covid-#ai p&emic2 ,:]eas !     
abs5ce ( local news outlets &           
inve/igative report+ all[s local        
gov]nm5t corruption & corporate         
malfeasance to g un*eck$2 ,:]eas local  
j\rnali/s help combat dis9=mation by us+
 _! community k & connections to debunk 
fraudul5t or mislead+ cont5t2 ,:]eas    
local cable fran*ises r\t9ely provide = 
public educational & gov]nm5t access    
*annels on _! sy/ems1 & ^? *annels--    
7#a7 (f] vital local civic programm+ t  
in=ms communities2  7#b7 provide news & 
in=mation n (t5 available on o!r local  
broadca/ *annels or cable2  7#c7        
supplem5t local j\rnalism2 &  7#d7 at   

times1 are ! only s\rce = local news2   
,:]eas ! p ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates tru/ local 
news s\rces by a #b-to-#a m>g92 ,:]eas1 
accord+ to rec5t rese>*-- 7#a7 ! ,unit$ 
,/ates has lo/ m ?an #b1ajj local pr9t  
outlets s9ce #bjjd2  7#b7 m ?an #bjj    
c\nties 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates h no newspap] 
at all1 creat+ a news %ortage = !       
#c1bjj1jjj resid5ts ( ^? c\nties2  7#c7 
( ! rema9+ c\nties 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 m 
?an #a_/b1 or #a1ebh1 h only #a newspap]
 to cov] populations rang+ f "u #a1jjj  
to m ?an #a1jjj1jjj resid5ts2  7#d7 m   
?an #a_/b ( all ,unit$ ,/ates newspap]s 
h *ang$ own]s 9 ! pa/ decade1 &1 9      
#bjah1 only #be companies own$ #b_/c (  
all daily newspap]s2  7#e7 ( ! surviv+  
#f1gjj newspap]s 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 at  
lea/ #a1jjj qualify z gho/ newspap]s1 or
 newspap]s ) report+ & photography /affs
 t are s significantly r$uc$ t !y c no  
long] provide mu* ( ! break+ news or    
public s]vice j\rnalism t once in=m$    
read]s ab\t vital issues 9 _!           
communities2 &  7#f7 rural c\nties are  

among ! c\nties mo/ deeply impact$ by ! 
loss ( local report+1 z m ?an #ejj ( !  
#b1ajj newspap]s t h clos$ or m]g$ s9ce 
#bjjd are 9 rural c\nties2 ,:]eas1 :ile 
ov]all employm5t 9 newspap]1 television1
 radio1 & digital newsrooms dropp$ by   
r\ghly #bf p]c5t1 or #cj1jjj jobs1      
betwe5 #bjjh & #bjbj1 ! plunge 9        
newspap] newsrooms alone 0 mu* worse at 
#eg p]c5t1 or #dj1jjj jobs1 9 t same "t 
p]iod2 ,:]eas ! numb] ( news employees 9
 ! radio broadca/+ indu/ry dropp$ by #bb
 p]c5t betwe5 #bjjd & #bjbj2 ,:]eas beat
 report+1 mean+ ! day-to-day cov]age ( a
 p>ticul> field t all[s a j\rnali/ to   
develop exp]tise & cultivate s\rces1 has
 ceas$ to be a viable c>e] = w\ld-be    
j\rnali/s due to ! decimation ( newsroom
 budgets2 ,:]eas reque/s submitt$ "u    
section #eeb ( title #e1 ,unit$ ,/ates  
,code 7commonly ref]r$ to z ,fre$om (   
,in=mation ,act reque/s71 by local      
newspap]s to local1 ,/ate1 & ,f$]al     
ag5cies fell by ne>ly #ej p]c5t betwe5  
#bjje & #bjaj1 demon/rat+ a significant 

drop 9 ! ext5t to :i* local report]s    
reque/ gov]nm5t records2 ,:]eas         
newspap]s alone lo/ m ?an               
#ce1jjj1jjj1jjj 9 adv]tis+ rev5ue betwe5
 #bjjd & #bjah2 ,:]eas1 9 ! second qu>t]
 ( #bjbj1 adv]tis+ rev5ue fell by a     
m$ian ( #bd p]c5t = local television    
companies2 ,:]eas ! rev5ue ( all-news   
radio /ations dropp$ by #bd p]c5t 9     
#bjbj2 ,:]eas !re rema9s a significant  
g5d] disp>ity 9 newsroom employm5t1 )   
wom5 compris+ approximately #a_/c ( /aff
 :o are #cj ye>s ( age or old]2 ,:]eas  
wom5 :o are local television news an*ors
 & report]s1 especially wom5 ( color1   
are (t5 subject to h>assm5t & /alk+2    
,:]eas1 across ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 !re are 
m ?an #bjj newspap]s publi%$ by & =     
,black read]s1 &1 9 rec5t ye>s1 _m ( ^? 
newspap]s h se5-- 7#a7 significant      
losses 9 adv]tis+ rev5ue z small        
bus9esses 9 _! communities 7 =c$ to     
close2 &  7#b7 circulation decl9es due  
to ! closures ( bus9esses 9 _!          
communities2 ,:]eas ! numb] ( ,black    

j\rnali/s work+ at daily newspap]s      
dropp$ by #dj p]c5t betwe5 #aiig &      
#bjad1 m ?an = any o!r demographic gr\p2
 ,:]eas ! numb] ( pr9t m$ia s\rces      
publi%$ by & = ,am]ican ,indian read]s  
has %runk dramatically 9 rec5t ye>s1 f  
#gjj m$ia outlets 9 #aiih to only #bjj 9
 #bjah2 ,:]eas ,tribally own$ news      
outlets are (t5 dep5d5t on ,tribal      
gov]nm5ts = fund+1 b mo/ ( ^? outlets   
lack ! policy /ructure necess>y to fully
 protect j\rnali/ic indep5d5ce2 ,:]eas a
 #bjah survey by ! ,native ,am]ican     
,j\rnali/s ,association f\nd t #hc p]c5t
 ( respond5ts believ$ t ,native press   
cov]age ( ,tribal gov]nm5t affairs 0    
sometimes1 frequ5tly1 or always c5sor$2 
,:]eas !re are m ?an #eej ,lat9o news   
m$ia outlets 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 :i* rely
 prim>ily on a decl9+ adv]tis+ rev5ue   
base2 ,:]eas ! lack ( local news impacts
 communities t speak languages o!r ?an  
,engli%1 :i* are (t5 exclud$ f national 
m$ia cov]age2 ,:]eas m ?an #ajj local   
newsrooms h clos$ dur+ ! ,,covid-#ai    

p&emic2 ,:]eas #h p]c5t ( survey$ local 
radio /ations report$ ! ,,covid-#ai     
p&emic end$ _! local news programs      
entirely2 ,:]eas #cj p]c5t ( local      
television news /ations report$ budget  
cuts & /aff r$uctions because ( !       
,,covid-#ai p&emic2 ,:]eas ,,p5 ,am]ica 
propos$ a major reimag9+ ( ! local news 
space 9 its #bjai call-to-action report1
 ,los+ ! ,news3 ,! ,decimation ( ,local 
,j\rnalism & ! ,se>* = ,solutions1 &    
call$ on society & ! ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t to
 urg5tly address ! al>m+ demise ( local 
j\rnalism2 & ,:]eas1 half a c5tury ago1 
,congress p]ceiv$ t ! comm]cial         
television indu/ry w\ld n indep5d5tly   
provide ! educational & public int]e/   
broadca/+ t 0 appropriate & necess>y = !
 c\ntry1 &1 in=m$ by an indep5d5t report
 prep>$ by ! ,c>negie ,commission on    
,educational ,television1 creat$ !      
,corporation = ,public ,broadca/+1 :i*  
has s9ce ensur$ t radio & television    
include public int]e/ educational &     
report+ programs us+ annually           

appropriat$ funds3 ,n[1 !re=e1 be x ,t !
 ,s5ate-- 7#a7 designates ,april #bjbb z
 ,pres]v+ & ,protect+ ,local ,news      
,mon?2  7#b7 affirms t local news s]ves 
an ess5tial function 9 ! democracy ( !  
,unit$ ,/ates2  7#c7 recognizes local   
news z a public good2 &  7#d7 ackn[l$ges
 ! valuable contributions ( local       
j\rnalism t[>ds ! ma9t5ance ( heal?y &  
vibrant communities4