Tax credits for local publishers, grant funding for news organizations, and state-covered wages for recently graduated reporters who cover underserved communities are all on the table as Massachusetts lawmakers consider how best to support the ailing local journalism industry.
A previous state commission tasked with reviewing the topic never completed its work, but the Legislature is eyeing another pass this year at exploring the upheaval afflicting local news and what state government can do to help. Rep. Paul McMurtry and Sen. Pavel Payano, who chair the Community Development and Small Businesses Committee, signaled plans to convene a reshaped journalism commission this fall that would produce a suite of recommendations by the end of the year.
