Currently moving through California’s legislative process is AB 611, the Keep News Independent Act, a bill introduced by Assemblymember Alex Lee to help support local journalism across the state…
“AB 611 will require local media outlets to provide advance notice to employees and subscribers before selling,” Lee explained in an interview with The Beat. “The notice will give newsroom staff and local communities the opportunity and time to approach the owners with alternatives to keep the outlet independently owned.”
The bill comes in response to a widespread pattern of media conglomerates, hedge funds, and private equity funds buying up local newspapers nationwide. “Only 10 companies own over half of all daily newspapers in the U.S., and the consolidation of local news hurts our local communities,” said Lee.
The buyers generally favor profit over journalistic integrity, and in the mix, newsrooms get pared down by layoffs while readers get deprived of meaningful coverage. When it comes to political races, the lack of coverage can cause more divisiveness, as voters have little local detail to go on and can thus drift toward less nuanced ideological positions.
“It’s crucial that we keep local news local, so voters are informed about community issues that matter most to them,” Lee said.
In recent days, Alden Global Capital’s MediaNews Group bought up the Press Democrat and other North Bay publications. With AB 611 in place, these transactions would have been announced to their communities in advance, potentially enabling local alternatives to preserve the original spirit of the papers in question.
The California News Publishers Association isn’t thrilled with the bill, arguing that it would undercut local news organizations’ “freedom to contract or sell their own property” while keeping “potential deals from coming to fruition.”
Lee doesn’t buy it. He thinks AB 611 will carry market benefits, namely spurring increased competition when it comes to media outlet sales. Also, he points out that the bill wouldn’t prevent any outlet from selling to whomever it chose; it would simply foster an atmosphere of transparency and openness around the transactions.
“I look forward to working with the news industry to keep newspapers locally owned and operated,” said Lee.
Note: The Milpitas Beat is locally owned and operated.
“Only 10 companies own over half of all daily newspapers in the U.S., and the consolidation of local news hurts our local communities.” Under anti-monopoly laws, this was once illegal. Now, consolidation in all major industries has left a handful of companies effectively controlling their markets – to the detriment of We the People. I applaud Mr. Lee’s efforts to retain what little independent journalism remains. (Remember the Milpitas Post before the conglomerate absorbed it? Now, the phrase “ghost of the Post” is apt.) You and I can do our part by finding and supporting independent journalism outlets. DailyKos.com, which I support monthly, is just 1 of many that provide important information overlooked (or suppressed) by the lame-stream media.