,,iii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #aeb ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #a 7legislative day1 ,march #ca71 #bjbe,mr4 ,schatz 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,fetterman1 ,mr4 ,padilla1 ,mr4 ,lujn1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,mr4 ,kelly1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,ms4 ,smith1 and ,ms4 ,cantwell7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,designating ,april #bjbe 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 provides vital information on national1 ,state1 and local elections to help ,united ,states citizens execute their civic responsibility2 ,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 misinformation and 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 systems that-- 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 more than #c_/d of ,united ,states citizens trust local news sources2 ,whereas1 according to researchers at the ,northwestern ,university ,medill ,school of ,journalism1 the ,united ,states has lost more than #c1bjj local print outlets since #bjje2 ,whereas1 according to recent research-- 7#a7 an average of #b4e local print outlets are being shuttered every week in the ,united ,states2 7#b7 more than #bjj of the #c1adc counties and county equivalents in the ,united ,states have no local newspaper at all1 creating a news shortage for over #c1ejj1jjj residents of those areas2 7#c7 of the remaining counties in the ,united ,states1 more than #a_/b have only #a newspaper to cover populations ranging from fewer than #a1jjj to more than #a1jjj1jjj residents and #b_/c have no daily newspaper1 with fewer than #ajj of these counties having a digital substitute2 7#d7 more than #a_/b of all newspapers in the ,united ,states have changed owners during the past decade2 7#e7 as of #bjbd1 just #aj companies1 including companies with partial or full ownership by private equity firms and hedge funds1 control #a_/d of all newspapers and more than #a_/b of all dailies in the ,united ,states2 7#f7 of the surviving #e1eie newspapers in the ,united ,states1 thousands now 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 7#g7 rural counties are among the counties most deeply impacted by the loss of local reporting1 as more than #ejj of the net loss of nearly #c1bjj newspapers that have closed since #bjje are in rural counties2 and 7#h7 researchers at the ,northwestern ,university ,medill ,school of ,journalism estimate that #bgi counties across #cb ,states are at an elevated risk of becoming news deserts1 which would inordinately impact high-poverty areas in the ,south1 ,mountain ,west1 and ,midwest1 and communities with significant ,black1 ,latino1 and ,native ,american populations2 ,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 during that same time period2 ,whereas the number of news employees in the radio broadcasting industry dropped by #bf percent between #bjjh and #bjbj2 ,whereas nearly #ae1jjj media jobs1 including jobs in the newspaper industry and broadcasting1 were lost in #bjbd2 ,whereas1 between ,january and ,september #bjbd1 digital-native publications and legacy media outlets laid off approximately #b1ejj journalists1 and many of those publications shuttered during the last year2 ,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 ,whereas1 according to the ,pew ,research ,center1 newspapers in the ,united ,states saw a decline in advertising revenue of almost #fj percent between #bjac and #bjbc2 ,whereas the sponsorship revenue of all-news radio stations dropped by #be percent between #bjai and #bjba2 ,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 nearly #cjj media outlets that primarily serve ,black communities1 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 declines in circulation 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 group1 and the exodus of journalists from local news outlets exacerbated by the economic fallout from the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 and declining news readership and circulation1 has been disproportionately borne by ,black constituencies2 ,whereas the number of print media sources published by and for ,native ,american 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 #fbj ,latino news media outlets in the ,united ,states1 including more than #bge independently owned print publications1 and collectively those news media outlets primarily rely 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 investments in local journalism have mainly focused on larger media markets1 contributing to inequities and a journalistic divide between affluent and low-income communities2 ,whereas student journalists1 at the college and high school level1 have stepped in to play an important role reporting on their local communities despite the lack of educational resources and support2 ,whereas the ,pew ,research ,center reports that nearly #a in #aj statehouse reporters are student journalists2 ,whereas the ,,covid-#ai pandemic took a substantial economic toll on the local news industry1 contributing to budget cuts1 staff layoffs1 and scores of newsroom closures1 from which the industry has yet to fully recover1 as epitomized by mass layoffs and closures at several local news outlets in the #ej ,states and the ,district of ,columbia since #bjbc2 ,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 ,united ,states1 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 #bjbe 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