The California Senate has passed a bill that could allocate $500 million annually to fund journalism jobs across the state.
Senate Bill 1327, introduced by Senator Steve Glazer, proposes to impose a data-mining fee on major tech companies to finance this initiative. The bill secured the necessary two-thirds majority to advance in the legislature.
This development follows closely on the heels of another pro-journalism measure, the California Journalism Preservation Act, which cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee with a 9-2 vote. Both bills have garnered support from prominent journalism unions, including the NewsGuild-CWA and its local chapters.
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The California Journalism Preservation Act (AB 886), sponsored by Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, aims to establish a journalism usage fee targeting digital advertising giants like Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Meta (Nasdaq: META). The bill stipulates that 70% of the collected funds must be reinvested in preserving journalism jobs within California.
Journalism advocates argue that these measures are crucial for maintaining a robust local news ecosystem. NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss emphasized the critical role journalists play in communities and democracy, noting the significant loss of journalism jobs over the past decade.
“It’s a strong indicator to me that Californians and the officials elected to represent them understand the critical role that journalists play in our communities and our democracy. We must protect local journalism and the brave working journalists who bring us the news,” he said.
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