Rebuild Local News Endorses Connecticut Plan to Strengthen Local Reporting

On Feb. 17, Senior Policy Manager Gene Perry testified before the Connecticut General Assembly’s Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee in support of HB5159, a bill that would create a journalism fellowship program managed by the State Office of Higher Education:

Chair Haddad, Chair Slap, Ranking Members Martin and Bronko, and members of the Committee, thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of HB5159. 

I am Gene Perry, Senior Policy Manager with Rebuild Local News, the leading nonpartisan, nonprofit coalition developing and advancing public policies to strengthen community news and information. Our coalition brings together 55 organizations, including local publishers, labor unions, civic groups, and philanthropy, representing more than 3,000 newsrooms and 15,000 journalists across the country.

In Connecticut and around the United States, we face a severe decline in reliable community information. Since 2002, the number of local journalists per capita has plummeted by more than 75 percent. Connecticut has dropped to just over 7 local journalists per 100,000 people, ranking 37th out of 50 states, according to our research with Muck Rack.

Research shows that the decline of local news is associated with higher polarization, decreased voter turnout, increased corruption, and higher bond costs. The closure of local newspapers has even been linked to declines in volunteering for civic organizations like PTA or the Neighborhood Watch.

HB5159 takes on this problem by establishing at least 12 local journalism fellowships managed by the State Office of Higher Education. By housing the program within a trusted public institution and working with independent local news outlets, state-funded fellowships can support local information while respecting press freedom. Examples of this approach are already operating in New Mexico, California, and Washington State:

• The New Mexico Local News Fellowship has grown from a pilot program of 3 fellows in 2019 to 9 fellows and 11 interns this year. 
• Since 2023, the California Local News Fellowship hosted at UC Berkeley has deployed nearly 40 fellows per year into two-year, full-time roles at newsrooms across the state. The program recently partnered with the California Health Care Foundation to add fellowships focused on health reporting.
• The Washington State News Fellowship began in 2024 and supports 16 full-time fellows around the state. Fellows have produced more than 3,000 articles, mostly for small towns. In partnership with Report for America, they are aiming to have a fellow in every county in the state by 2029.

Each is hosted at a particular university, but fellows can be graduates of any college or university in the state, and in some cases out of state. The programs have different levels of funding with some differences in how they operate, but together they offer a range of tested practices for Connecticut to learn from and build on.

HB 5159 can help ensure Connecticut residents get reliable, independent reporting necessary to shape their communities’ future. It is a needed investment in transparency and civic health.

Thank you for your time and consideration.