SALEM, Ore. (CN) — With less than a week remaining in Oregon’s legislative session, an ambitious bill set to force tech behemoths to pay local newsrooms failed to advance from the Senate floor, but its supporters haven’t backed down.
SB 686 would require tech giants like Google and Facebook to pay for access to local journalism and create a consortium to award grants for civic information initiatives with part of the revenue.
To Oregon State Senator Khan Pham, the bill’s sponsor, the legislation is a vital lifeline for local newsrooms that have struggled to remain open.
