AK's Column: A historic NY decision brings good news closer to home
Daily newspapers play a vital role in our lives by providing coverage of various events ranging from government and school board meetings, church announcements, and community interests such as weddings and obituaries. Local reporters work hard to bring us information about elections, candidates and education that is crucial to our democracy.
As a long-time journalist myself, I have seen the hard work and dedication of reporters who have to meet deadlines regardless of holidays, hospital visits, weekends or family vacations. However, despite the importance of local news seems to be dwindling in support of local journalists.
A few years ago, when I returned to newsrooms as a freelance writer, I noticed a significant decline in the number of reporters and copy editors, and print editions were constantly shrinking. This is a common trend across the country, and it's not unique to Davidson County. Local publications are currently in a crisis, and many are concerned about the future of local news.
Fortunately, some organizations are working to address this issue. I recently joined the Rebuild Local News team led by Steven Waldman. Our goal is to strengthen local news and safeguard against the spread of false information by supporting sound, fair-minded and local reporting.
In my travels, I’ve learned that it’s not all doom and gloom on the local news horizon. A long-time push by the RLN team recently turned into a victory in New York, where a coalition of local news organizations successfully championed new legislation that gives news outlets a tax break for hiring or employing journalists. The bipartisan plan offers a statewide total of $30 million in credits each year for three years (a $90 million total commitment) that can be used to cover half of a journalist’s salary.
What would this look like in North Carolina?
New York law to fund journalists’ jobs should be model for rest of US
According to Pew, although 71% of Americans believe their local news outlets are doing well financially, only 14% say they have paid for or donated money to a local news source in the past year. Advertising and subscriptions are low, but the pandemic has shown us how crucial it is to have reliable news sources that keep us informed.
As someone who has been advocating for local news for decades, Davidson Local is part of the solution. Our team celebrated our 3-year anniversary all month, and our goal is to make all local news better. We believe that every story, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is important to someone. We support other local sources and aim to provide accountability for elected officials and leaders who have trouble reaching folks in news deserts.
Thank you for celebrating our anniversary. The time is now to like, share and subscribe to local media sources. Looking around and you will see. if you don’t use local media, you could lose it. The Freedom of the Press was so important, that the media was included in the First Amendment. If you don't support local news, be prepared to give that up.
If you love local news...find a trusted source and follow it closely!
Happy Anniversary!
