,,iii  #aai? ,,congress  #a/ ,session   
,s4 ,,res4 #aeb  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!
 ,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,april #a 7legislative
 day1 ,m>* #ca71 #bjbe,mr4 ,s*atz 7=    
himself1 ,mr4 ,k+1 ,mr4 ,blum5?al1 ,ms4 
,klobu*>1 ,mr4 ,fett]man1 ,mr4 ,padilla1
 ,mr4 ,lujn1 ,mr4 ,wyd51 ,mr4 ,wel*1    
,mr4 ,w>n]1 ,mr4 ,s*iff1 ,mr4 ,kelly1   
,mr4 ,durb91 ,ms4 ,smi?1 & ,ms4         
,cantwell7 submitt$ ! foll[+ resolution2
 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! ,committee on !      
,judici>y  ,,resolution  ,designat+     
,april #bjbe 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  
national1 ,/ate1 & local 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$2   
,:]eas local j\rnali/s help combat      
mis9=mation & dis9=mation by us+ _!     
community k & connections to debunk     
fraudul5t or mislead+ cont5t2 ,:]eas    
local cable fran*ises r\t9ely provide = 
public educational & gov]nm5t access    
*annels on _! sy/ems t-- 7#a7 (f] vital 
local civic programm+ t in=ms           
communities2  7#b7 provide news &       
in=mation n (t5 available on o!r local  
broadca/ *annels or cable2  7#c7        
supplem5t local j\rnalism2 &  7#d7 at   
times1 are ! only s\rce = local news2   
,:]eas m ?an #c_/d ( ,unit$ ,/ates      
citiz5s tru/ local news s\rces2 ,:]eas1 
accord+ to rese>*]s at ! ,nor?we/]n     

,univ]sity ,m$ill ,s*ool ( ,j\rnalism1 !
 ,unit$ ,/ates has lo/ m ?an #c1bjj     
local pr9t outlets s9ce #bjje2 ,:]eas1  
accord+ to rec5t rese>*-- 7#a7 an av]age
 ( #b4e local pr9t outlets are be+      
%utt]$ e week 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates2  7#b7 m
 ?an #bjj ( ! #c1adc c\nties & c\nty    
equival5ts 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates h no local 
newspap] at all1 creat+ a news %ortage =
 ov] #c1ejj1jjj resid5ts ( ^? areas2    
7#c7 ( ! 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#d7 m ?an #a_/b ( all      
newspap]s 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates h *ang$     
own]s dur+ ! pa/ decade2  7#e7 z (      
#bjbd1 j #aj companies1 includ+         
companies ) p>tial or full own]%ip by   
private equity firms & h$ge funds1      
control #a_/d ( all newspap]s & m ?an   
#a_/b ( all dailies 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates2  
7#f7 ( ! surviv+ #e1eie 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 ( !  
net loss ( ne>ly #c1bjj newspap]s t h   
clos$ s9ce #bjje are 9 rural c\nties2 & 
7#h7 rese>*]s at ! ,nor?we/]n ,univ]sity
 ,m$ill ,s*ool ( ,j\rnalism e/imate t   
#bgi c\nties across #cb ,/ates are at an
 elevat$ risk ( becom+ news des]ts1 :i* 
w\ld inord9ately impact high-pov]ty     
areas 9 ! ,s\?1 ,m\nta9 ,we/1 & ,midwe/1
 & 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 ne>ly #ae1jjj m$ia     
jobs1 includ+ jobs 9 ! newspap] indu/ry 
& broadca/+1 7 lo/ 9 #bjbd2 ,:]eas1     
betwe5 ,janu>y & ,septemb] #bjbd1       
digital-native publications & legacy    
m$ia outlets laid (f approximately      
#b1ejj j\rnali/s1 & _m ( ^? publications
 %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 ,:]eas1 accord+

 to ! ,pew ,rese>* ,c5t]1 newspap]s 9 ! 
,unit$ ,/ates saw a decl9e 9 adv]tis+   
rev5ue ( almo/ #fj p]c5t betwe5 #bjac & 
#bjbc2 ,:]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$ by ! economic fall\t f
 ! ,,covid-#ai p&emic1 & decl9+ news    
read]%ip & circulation1 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$ia m>kets1 contribut+  
to inequities & a j\rnali/ic divide     
betwe5 afflu5t & l[-income communities2 
,:]eas /ud5t j\rnali/s1 at ! college &  
high s*ool level1 h /epp$ 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 ! ,,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
 s9ce #bjbc2 ,:]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 = !
 ,unit$ ,/ates1 &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 #bjbe 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