The News/Media Alliance applauds Illinois Senator Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) for recently introducing the Journalism Preservation Act (SB 3591) in the Illinois Senate, which would require Big Tech platforms such as Meta and Google to pay news publishers a “journalism usage fee” to use local news content. more

Today, a statewide group of local news organizations, comprising over 100 local newspapers in New York, launched The Empire State Local News Coalition, a joint advocacy effort to advance a legislative package that would deliver long-term sustainability to the sector.  more

Learn about the innovative approach NERUS Strategies is taking to generating new revenue streams for newspapers. more

Here are some key facts about Black Americans’ experiences with and attitudes toward the news, based on recent Pew Research Center surveys. more

February 14, 2024 - A new bill signed by Governor Kristi Noem on Feb. 12 will redefine the term “legal newspaper” in South Dakota. more

To celebrate, we’re offering free marketing resources that will boost your obituary revenue and plug editorial gaps. more

February 14, 2024 - Each day, millions of people use powerful generative AI tools to supercharge their creative expression. In so many ways, AI will create exciting opportunities for all of us to bring new ideas to life. But, as these new tools come to market from Microsoft and across the tech sector, we must take new steps to ensure these new technologies are resistant to abuse. more

Kurt Jackson, owner of long-time publishing systems supplier Software Consulting Services, LLC (SCS), announced the creation of a new start-up — SN1, LLC. SN1 will specialize in data visualization. more

While much news coverage of firearm violence is reported through the lens of crime and politics, experts say this framing overemphasizes mass shootings and fails communities seeking solutions to gun violence. On Feb. 9, experts shared their advice on how to shift story framing to one that emphasizes solutions, prevention methods and data.   more

Nearly 600 rural colleges are in or near a local news desert. They are in the perfect location to help communities fill the news gap and restore the flow of information that feeds civic participation and economic success. more

A federal judge extended a block on enforcement Monday of an Ohio law that would require children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps as a legal challenge proceeds. more

February 13, 2024 - The CEO of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI said Tuesday that the dangers that keep him awake at night regarding artificial intelligence are the “very subtle societal misalignments” that could make the systems wreak havoc. more

Facing issues of cost and staffing, newspapers are shutting down their carrier force and shifting to all-postal delivery. more

The Deseret News launched a free monthly compendium of its best journalism in September. It’s been profitable since October. more

Press Forward has announced that Dale R. Anglin will serve as the inaugural director of the growing coalition of local and national funders committed to investing more than $500 million to strengthen communities, democracy and local news. more

February 12, 2024 - Uncertainty in the news industry, hype around AI, and hope for better business models and new revenue streams have all helped to drive news organizations to adopt AI technology, a new report from the Tow Center of Digital Journalism at Columbia University finds. more

Greedy financiers and monopolistic tech giants are only part of the problem for local journalism. There’s another, more beguiling threat to America’s press system and the civic literacy and engagement it supports. That’s the enormous wave of streaming video cresting over our lives, pressing us to screens for many of our waking hours. more

The Times Union (Albany, New York) has launched a new and expanded newsletter devoted to New York State government and politics under a name familiar to local readers: Capitol Confidential. more

Gannett | USA TODAY Network have announced the addition of Marci Moss as dedicated chief data privacy officer, as they further strengthen their data protection framework. Safeguarding the information entrusted to publications like Gannett by clients, partners, users and employees is more critical than ever, and Moss will be dedicated to prioritizing the importance of data protection, privacy and regulation. more

Wisconsin legislators are trying again to help save its local news industry. I hope residents badger them to get it done this year. The latest effort is a suite of bills to support news outlets, subscribers and early-career journalists. Rep. Jimmy Anderson modeled them on proposals in Congress and other states. It helps that his first job, in his teens, was delivering newspapers. more