Historic Local News Coalition of National, State Organizations Urge Gov. Newsom of California to Support AB 2222

The bill would establish the nation’s largest investment in community news, expanding reporting capacity and coverage across California

September 9th, 2026

By Rebuild Local News Team

On September 9, a historically broad coalition of 125 local, state and national organizations sent a letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom urging him to sign the Community NEWS Act (AB 2222), a bill that would provide employment credits to help newsrooms strengthen their reporting capacity and deepen coverage in communities across the state.

Dear Governor Newsom:

We write to respectfully recommend enacting Assembly Bill 2222, also known as the Community Newsroom Employment and Workforce Sustainability Act (the Community NEWS Act). The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Christopher M. Ward, jointly authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, and cosponsored by Senator Jerry McNerny and Assemblymembers Josh Lowenthal, Tina McKinnor and Sharon Quirk-Silva.

This bill will make California the national leader in reviving community news, a crucial element in the drive to strengthen democracy.

Supermajorities in both chambers voted to send you this critical measure to help rebuild California’s local news sector, which has garnered support from a diverse coalition spanning local, state and national organizations.

AB 2222’s proposed local journalist employment credits would do more than support newsrooms in a nonpartisan and First Amendment-friendly way. They would strengthen local reporting capacity, safeguard the essential coverage communities rely on to stay informed and civically engaged, and help rebuild the state’s information infrastructure.

Since 2002, the United States has lost more than 80 percent of its local journalists, dropping from about 40 journalists per 100,000 residents to 7.8. Every week, more than two newspapers shut down, leaving communities with diminished access to reliable information. Research shows that when local news disappears, government corruption, misinformation and polarization rise, while voter turnout, knowledge of public officials and civic engagement decline.

The erosion of local news also carries direct economic consequences. A 2026 report found that the shortage of local news is costing local governments roughly $1.1 billion a year in higher municipal borrowing costs. Without journalists monitoring local officials, lenders respond by charging higher interest rates due to increased risk of wasteful spending and corruption.

California is not immune to these harms. It ranks among the 10 worst states for the number of journalists per 100,000 residents, with 37 counties — home to 30.5 million people — at or below the national average for local reporting capacity. Since 2005, the state has lost over 40 percent of its newspapers. Alpine and Sutter counties are considered news deserts, with eight additional counties labeled “higher risk” for becoming one.

It is not too late to reverse this decline. AB 2222 would provide much-needed support for community news providers based on the number of journalists they employ, with enhanced benefits for the smallest newsrooms and outlets creating new journalist jobs. The bill is designed to uplift the state’s entire local news ecosystem, ensuring that local print, digital, and broadcast outlets alike, whether they are for-profit, nonprofit or sole proprietorship, can benefit. It also includes objective safeguard to prevent abuse by partisan “pink slime” news operations while protecting editorial independence.

The Community News Act is fully paid for and strengthens California’s budget. It is financed by a measure that would end corporate tax breaks for executive compensation above $1 million. Federal law does not allow this type of corporate tax break, and California’s legislature has chosen to align state tax policy and direct a portion of the resulting revenue to support community news jobs.

The journalist employment credit model has already been enacted in New York, Illinois and New Mexico, with early implementation in Illinois showing meaningful promise.

For these reasons, the Community NEWS Act has united a historically broad coalition of labor unions, state press associations, journalism support organizations, independent and nonprofit publishers, identity‑based media groups, university journalism leaders, and national industry advocates.

We underline our support and respectfully urge passage of AB 2222.

Signed,

National