U.S. Senator Ron Wyden has joined nine other Senate Democrats in introducing a resolution designating April 2022 as“Preserving Local News Month.”
Wyden says as the son of a journalist, he’s proud to recognize local news as an important -and essential- function of democracy in America.
The resolution’s sponsor is Hawaiian Democratic Senator Brian Schatz. Groups including the Writers Guild of America, the National Newspaper Association, Free Press Action, National Association of Black Journalists, and United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry have endorsed it.
Last July, Wyden rolled out the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, to help newsrooms recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and support local news operations.
In a release, Wyden’s press office says “the overall employment in newspaper, television, radio, and digital newsrooms in the United States fell by 26 percent, or 30,000 jobs, from 2008-2020. More than 100 local newsrooms were forced to close during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 30 percent of local television stations reporting budget cuts and staff reductions. The resolution affirms the significance of local news in increasing civic engagement and strengthening democratic norms and practices, and acknowledges the valuable contributions of local journalism towards the maintenance of healthy and vibrant communities.”
Other sponsors include U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) Richard Blumenthal, (D-CT), Tammy Baldwin, (D-WI), Alex Padilla, (D-CA), Ed Markey,( D-MA), Amy Klobuchar,(D-MN), Sherrod Brown, (D-OH), and Bob Casey, (D-PA.)
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