,,iii  #aah? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 ,,res4 #fea  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!
 ,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,april #ah1 #bjbd,mr4 
,s*atz 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,fett]man1 ,mr4 
,blum5?al1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mr4         
,padilla1 ,mr4 ,wel*1 ,ms4 ,klobu*>1    
,mr4 ,wyd51 ,mr4 ,durb91 ,mr4 ,w>n]1    
,mr4 ,kelly1 ,mr4 ,k+1 & ,ms4 ,butl]7   
submitt$ ! foll[+ resolution2 :i* 0     
ref]r$ to ! ,committee on ! ,judici>y   
,,resolution  ,designat+ ,april #bjbd 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 provides   
vital in=mation on local1 ,/ate1 &      
national elections to help ,unit$ ,/ates
 citiz5s execute _! civic               
responsibility2 ,:]eas ! abs5ce ( local 
news outlets & inve/igative report+     
all[s local gov]nm5t corruption &       
corporate malfeasance to g un*eck$2     
,:]eas local j\rnali/s help combat      
mis9=mation & dis9=mation by us+ _!     
community k & connections to debunk     
fraudul5t or mislead+ cont5t2 ,:]eas    
local cable fran*ises r\t9ely provide = 
public educational & gov]nm5t access    
*annels on _! sy/ems1 & ^? *annels--    
7#a7 (f] vital local civic programm+ t  
in=ms communities2  7#b7 provide news & 
in=mation n (t5 available on o!r local  
broadca/ *annels or cable2  7#c7        
supplem5t local j\rnalism2 &  7#d7 at   
times1 are ! only s\rce = local news2   
,:]eas m ?an #c_/d ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates    
citiz5ry tru/ local news s\rces2 ,:]eas1
 accord+ to rec5t rese>*-- 7#a7 ! ,unit$
 ,/ates has lo/ ne>ly #b1ijj local pr9t 

outlets s9ce #bjje1 :i* acc\nts = ov]   
#a_/d ( all local pr9t outlets1 & is on 
track to lose #a_/c ( all local pr9t    
outlets by #bjbe2  7#b7 an av]age ( #b4e
 local pr9t outlets are be+ %utt]$ e    
week 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates2  7#c7 m ?an #bjj
 ( ! #c1adc c\nties & c\nty equival5ts 9
 ! ,unit$ ,/ates h no local newspap] at 
all1 creat+ a news %ortage = ! r\ghly   
#d1jjj1jjj resid5ts ( ^? areas2  7#d7 ( 
! rema9+ c\nties 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 m   
?an #a_/b h only #a newspap] to cov]    
populations rang+ f few] ?an #a1jjj to m
 ?an #a1jjj1jjj resid5ts & #b_/c h no   
daily newspap]1 ) few] ?an #ajj ( ^!    
c\nties hav+ a digital sub/itute2  7#e7 
m ?an #a_/b ( all newspap]s 9 ! ,unit$  
,/ates h *ang$ own]s dur+ ! pa/ decade1 
&1 9 #bjbj1 ! #be l>ge/ newspap] own]%ip
 companies own$ #a_/c ( all daily       
newspap]s1 includ+ #gj p]c5t ( newspap]s
 t /ill circulate daily2  7#f7 ( !      
surviv+ #f1gjj newspap]s 9 ! ,unit$     
,/ates1 ?\s&s n[ 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#g7 rural c\nties are 
among ! c\nties mo/ deeply impact$ by ! 
loss ( local report+1 z m ?an #ejj ( !  
ne>ly #b1ijj newspap]s t h clos$ s9ce   
#bjje are 9 rural c\nties2 &  7#h7      
rese>*]s at ,nor?we/]n ,univ]sity's     
,m$ill ,s*ool ( ,j\rnalism e/imate t    
#bbh c\nties 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates are at an
 elevat$ risk ( becom+ news des]ts 9 !  
next #e ye>s1 :i* w\ld inord9ately      
impact high-pov]ty areas 9 ! ,s\? &     
,midwe/ & communities ) significant     
,black1 ,lat9o1 & ,native ,am]ican      
populations2 ,:]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 dur+ t same "t p]iod2     
,:]eas ! numb] ( news employees 9 !     

radio broadca/+ indu/ry dropp$ by #bf   
p]c5t betwe5 #bjjh & #bjbj2 ,:]eas m ?an
 #ba1djj m$ia jobs 7 lo/ 9 #bjbc1 !     
highe/ numb]1 exclud+ #bjbj1 s9ce !     
height ( ! ,great ,recession 9 #bjji2   
,:]eas digital native publications h    
laid (f hundr$s ( j\rnali/s1 includ+ ov]
 #ejj 9 ,janu>y #bjbd alone1 & _m ( ^?  
publications h %utt]$ dur+ ! la/ ye>2   
,:]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              
#ci1hjj1jjj1jjj 9 adv]tis+ rev5ue betwe5

 #bjje & #bjbj2 ,:]eas ! sponsor%ip     
rev5ue ( all-news radio /ations dropp$  
by #be p]c5t betwe5 #bjai & #bjba2      
,:]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 ne>ly  
#cjj m$ia outlets t prim>ily s]ve ,black
 communities1 &1 9 rec5t ye>s1 _m ( ^?  
newspap]s h se5-- 7#a7 significant      
losses 9 adv]tis+ rev5ue z small        
bus9esses 9 _! communities 7 =c$ to     
close2 &  7#b7 decl9es 9 circulation 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\p1
 & ! exodus ( j\rnali/s f local news    
outlets exac]bat$ amid ! economic fall\t
 f ! ,,covid-#ai p&emic has be5         

disproportionately borne by ,black      
con/itu5cies2 ,:]eas ! numb] ( pr9t m$ia
 s\rces publi%$ by & = ,native ,am]ican 
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$2 
,:]eas !re are m ?an #fbj ,lat9o news   
m$ia outlets 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates1 includ+ 
m ?an #bge indep5d5tly own$ pr9t        
publications1 & collectively ^! news    
m$ia outlets prim>ily rely on a decl9+  
adv]tis+ rev5ue base2 ,:]eas ! lack (   
local news impacts communities t speak  
languages o!r ?an ,engli%1 :i* are (t5  
exclud$ f national m$ia cov]age2 ,:]eas 
inve/m5ts 9 local j\rnalism h ma9ly     

focus$ on l>g] m$ia m>kets1 contribut+  
to inequities & a j\rnali/ic divide     
betwe5 afflu5t & l[-income communities2 
,:]eas /ud5t j\rnali/s1 at bo? ! college
 & high s*ool level1 h /epp$ 9 to play  
an important role report+ on _! local   
communities despite ! lack ( educational
 res\rces & support2 ,:]eas ! ,pew      
,rese>* ,c5t] reports t ne>ly #a 9 #aj  
/ateh\se report]s are /ud5t j\rnali/s2  
,:]eas m ?an #cfj local newsrooms h     
clos$ f ! onset ( ! ,,covid-#ai p&emic 9
 e>ly #bjbj to ! pres5t day2 ,:]eas !   
,,covid-#ai p&emic took a sub/antial    
economic toll on ! local news indu/ry1  
contribut+ to budget cuts1 /aff lay(fs1 
& scores ( newsroom closures1 f :i* !   
indu/ry has yet to fully recov]1 z      
epitomiz$ by mass lay(fs & closures at  
sev]al local news outlets 9 ! #ej ,/ates
 & ! ,di/rict ( ,columbia 9 #bjbc & e>ly
 #bjbd2 ,:]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 #bjbd 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