cess to funding (Abernathy, 2020). To guarantee equitable news access for all Americans will require commitment and vision at a national scale—to keep local papers in business, and to provide alternatives when they go out. The Brookings Institution proposes two solutions: First, lawmakers could offer financial support to newspapers and subscribers, by making subscriptions tax-deductible and newsroom revenue tax-exempt. Second, the government could use antitrust law to level the playing field between news and Big Tech. By allowing newspapers to negotiate collectively against Internet platforms, lawmakers can help local news take back its share of the advertising market. Historically, journalists and the public have been reluctant to involve the government in media funding, for fear of allowing the press to devolve into a propaganda machine. When erstwhile Indiana governor Mike Pence attempted to launch a state-run media outlet, dubbed “Just IN,” it swiftly gained a new moniker: “Pravda on the Plains” (Graham, 2015; LoBianco, 2015). Yet, considering the dire situation of local news, direct federal funding may provide necessary scaffolding—not only to prevent local newsrooms from caving in, but to allow them to reconstruct themselves. The challenge is devising a plan that preserves journalistic independence. Communications professor Robert McChesney, whose research has delved into the history and political economy of journalism, advocates for federal legislation known as the Local Journalism Initiative, which he characterizes as “a Green New Deal for journalism.” The LJI would provide over $30 billion a year to local news outlets, who could use the funding to fill immediate needs, develop a long-term business model, or convert to nonprofit status. Voters in counties that received LJI money could democratically select which local news outlets received the funding, allowing communities to support the journalism that informs them (Schiffrin, 2021). Conclusion The future of local news will, almost certainly, look very different from its present or past. In an increasingly online economy, local papers have suffered, and the readers they served have faced the consequences. However, as elected officials consider plans to bolster journalism—the Biden administration’s proposed Build Back Better legislation includes $1.7 billion designed to benefit local news (Tracy, 2021)—and researchers debate the best ways to sustain local papers, there is room for hope.
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