H.R. 3169, Future of Local News Act
Summary
H.R. 3169, the Future of Local News Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives May 12, 2021, by Mr. Veasey and Mr. Fitzpatrick. It was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Small Business. Section 3 establishes an advisory committee, the Future of Local News Committee, to examine the state of local news and provide recommendations on mechanisms the Federal Government can create to support professional, independent, and high-quality local news. The recommendations may explore a new national endowment for local journalism or reform and expansion of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The bill authorizes $1,000,000 to be appropriated to the Committee.
Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used
- Issuer
- Congressional materials
- Document type
- Bills Bills 117Hr3169Ih Bills 117Hr3169Ih
- Case
- Bills Bills 117Hr3169Ih Bills 117Hr3169Ih
Cite this document
“H.R. 3169, Future of Local News Act.”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/bills-bills-117hr3169ih-bills-117hr3169ih/
, SHA-256 55bc16cba24a7d66ab2db56a6ffc08b779c7fb3cb113b260c7d69d25c6b80e14.Full text
I
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3169
To establish the Future of Local News Committee to examine and report
on the role of local news gathering in sustaining democracy in the
United States and the factors contributing to the demise of local jour-
nalism, and to propose policies and mechanisms that could reinvigorate
local news to meet the critical information needs of the people of the
United States in the 21st century.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 12, 2021
Mr. VEASEY (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in
addition to the Committee on Small Business, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To establish the Future of Local News Committee to examine
and report on the role of local news gathering in sus-
taining democracy in the United States and the factors
contributing to the demise of local journalism, and to
propose policies and mechanisms that could reinvigorate
local news to meet the critical information needs of the
people of the United States in the 21st century.
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
2
1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Future of Local News
3 Act’’.
4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
5 Congress finds and declares the following:
6 (1) The United States of America was founded
7 on the press freedom principle enshrined in the First
8 Amendment to the Constitution, declaring that
9 ‘‘Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the
10 freedom of speech, or of the press . . . .’’.
11 (2) Democracy demands wisdom and vision in
12 its citizens, and an informed citizenry depends on
13 accurate and unbiased news reporting to inform the
14 people’s judgments.
15 (3) Thomas Jefferson famously and wisely
16 wrote, ‘‘[W]ere it left to me to decide whether we
17 should have a government without newspapers or
18 newspapers without a government, I should not hesi-
19 tate a moment to prefer the latter.’’.
20 (4)(A) According to research by the University
21 of North Carolina School of Media and Journalism,
22 Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local
23 Media:
24 (i) The United States has lost more than
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 2,100 local print outlets since 2004.
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
3
1 (ii) More than 200 counties in the United
2 States have no newspaper at all, creating a
3 news shortage for the 3,200,000 residents of
4 those counties.
5 (iii) Of the remaining counties, more than
6 half, or 1,528, have only one newspaper, often
7 a weekly newspaper, to cover populations rang-
8 ing from under 1,000 to more than 1,000,000
9 residents.
10 (iv) More than half of all United States
11 newspapers have changed owners in the past
12 decade, and in 2018 just 25 companies owned
13 two-thirds of all daily newspapers.
14 (v) Of the surviving 6,700 newspapers in
15 the United States, at least 1,000 qualify as
16 ‘‘ghost newspapers’’, or newspapers ‘‘whose re-
17 porting staffs are so significantly reduced that
18 they can no longer provide much of the break-
19 ing news or public service journalism that once
20 informed readers about vital issues in their
21 communities’’.
22 (vi) Rural counties are among the counties
23 most deeply impacted. More than 500 of the
24 2,100 newspapers that have closed or merged
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 since 2004 have been in rural counties.
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
4
1 (B) According to the Pew Research Center,
2 total newsroom employment (meaning in news-
3 papers, television, radio, and digital) dropped by
4 roughly 25 percent from 2008 to 2018, while the
5 plunge in newspaper newsrooms alone was much
6 worse, at 47 percent.
7 (C) According to the program ‘‘On the Media’’
8 of WNYC Studios, beat reporting, meaning the day-
9 to-day coverage of a particular field that allows a
10 journalist to develop expertise and cultivate sources,
11 has been gutted.
12 (D) Freedom of Information Act requests sub-
13 mitted by local newspapers to local, State, and Fed-
14 eral agencies fell by nearly 50 percent between 2005
15 and 2010, demonstrating a significant drop in the
16 extent to which reporters request government
17 records.
18 (E) According to the Pew Research Center,
19 newspapers alone lost more than $35,000,000,000 in
20 advertising revenue between 2004 and 2018.
21 (F) A 2018 study by American Indian Media
22 Today found that the number of American Indian
23 print media sources has shrunk dramatically in re-
24 cent years, from 700 media outlets in 1998 to only
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 200 in 2018.
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
5
1 (5) According to the Native American Journal-
2 ists Association, Tribal news outlets are often de-
3 pendent on Tribal governments for funding, but
4 most Tribal news outlets lack the policy structure
5 necessary to fully protect journalistic independence.
6 (6) As a result, freedoms of speech and press
7 among Tribal nations are inconsistent, as Tribal
8 media journalists report experiencing punitive budg-
9 etary restrictions, censorship, required prior ap-
10 proval of content, and workplace harassment in pur-
11 suit of Tribal reporting.
12 (7) In its 2019 call-to-action report, ‘‘Losing
13 the News: The Decimation of Local Journalism and
14 the Search for Solutions’’, PEN America proposed
15 ‘‘a major reimagining of the local news space, in
16 which local reporting is re-conceptualized as a public
17 good’’, calling on society and government to urgently
18 address the alarming demise of local journalism.
19 (8) Half a century ago, Congress perceived that
20 the commercial television industry would not on its
21 own provide the educational and public interest
22 broadcasting that was appropriate and necessary for
23 the country, and, informed by an independent report
24 prepared by the Carnegie Commission on Edu-
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 cational Television, saw fit to create the Corporation
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
6
1 for Public Broadcasting, which has since ensured
2 that radio and television include public interest edu-
3 cational and reporting programs, using annually ap-
4 propriated funds.
5 (9) In order to determine an appropriate course
6 of action to preserve and sustain local news across
7 the United States, including in all States, territories,
8 insular communities, and Tribal areas, it is desirable
9 to establish a Federal advisory committee on the fu-
10 ture of local news to prepare a report that would
11 make recommendations to Congress.
12 SEC. 3. FUTURE OF LOCAL NEWS COMMITTEE.
13 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established an advi-
14 sory committee to be known as the ‘‘Future of Local News
15 Committee’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Com-
16 mittee’’).
17 (b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Committee is
18 to—
19 (1) examine the state of local news and the
20 ability of local news to sustain democracy by meet-
21 ing the critical information needs of the people of
22 the United States; and
23 (2) provide recommendations on mechanisms
24 that the Federal Government can create and effec-
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 tively implement to support production of profes-
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
7
1 sional, independent, and high-quality local news to
2 meet the needs of the public, which recommenda-
3 tions, in addition to any other proposals deemed ap-
4 propriate, may explore the possible creation of a new
5 national endowment for local journalism, or the re-
6 form and expansion of the Corporation for Public
7 Broadcasting or another appropriate institution, to
8 make public funds a part of a multi-faceted ap-
9 proach to sustaining local news.
10 (c) MEMBERSHIP.—
11 (1) COMPOSITION.—The Committee shall be
12 composed of 13 members, of whom—
13 (A) 2 shall be appointed by the majority
14 leader of the Senate;
15 (B) 2 shall be appointed by the minority
16 leader of the Senate;
17 (C) 2 shall be appointed by the Speaker of
18 the House of Representatives;
19 (D) 2 shall be appointed by the minority
20 leader of the House of Representatives;
21 (E) 2 shall be appointed by the Chairman
22 of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for
23 Public Broadcasting;
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
8
1 (F) 2 shall be appointed by the Chair-
2 person of the National Endowment for the Hu-
3 manities; and
4 (G) 1 shall be appointed by the Chief Ex-
5 ecutive Officer of the United States Agency for
6 Global Media.
7 (2) CRITERIA FOR SERVICE ON THE COM-
8 MITTEE.—To the extent practical, the Committee
9 shall include members with relevant expertise, such
10 as individuals in the following positions:
11 (A) Print media news editor.
12 (B) Digital-native or digital-first news edi-
13 tor.
14 (C) Broadcast news editor.
15 (D) Local county editor or journalist of a
16 news outlet with circulation or readership of not
17 more than 75,000.
18 (E) Print media journalist or editor for a
19 news outlet that serves national readership.
20 (F) Nonprofit news outlet journalist or edi-
21 tor.
22 (G) Broadcast news reporter who works
23 for a local broadcast outlet serving a single
24 community or geographic area.
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
9
1 (H) A research expert on the state of local
2 news and the phenomenon of the industry’s rev-
3 enue loss and overall contraction during the last
4 10 or more years.
5 (I) Business leader in the media industry.
6 (J) Labor union leader in the media indus-
7 try.
8 (K) Dean or professor at a university
9 school of journalism.
10 (L) Civil society representative from a non-
11 partisan organization that examines the nature
12 of the local news crisis.
13 (M) Editor or other senior professional of
14 a regional ethnic media outlet serving commu-
15 nities in which English is a second language.
16 (N) Editor or other senior professional of
17 a Tribal news outlet or a news outlet serving
18 American Indian, Alaska Native, or Native Ha-
19 waiian communities.
20 (3) DIVERSITY.—To the extent practical, the
21 Committee shall—
22 (A) include members from diverse regions
23 of the country and reflect the experience of
24 rural, urban, suburban, insular, and Tribal
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 communities; and
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
10
1 (B) reflect the gender and racial diversity
2 of the United States.
3 (4) DESIGNATION OF ALTERNATES.—If a mem-
4 ber of the Committee is unable to serve on the Com-
5 mittee for the duration of the Committee, the official
6 who had appointed the resigning member shall ap-
7 point an alternate not later than 30 days after the
8 member withdraws or becomes unable to serve.
9 (5) CHAIRPERSON.—The chairperson of the
10 Committee shall be elected by the Committee from
11 among the members by a majority vote at the initial
12 meeting.
13 (6) TERM OF MEMBERSHIP.—Members of the
14 Committee shall serve until the date on which the
15 Committee terminates under subsection (h).
16 (7) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Com-
17 mittee shall not be compensated for membership on
18 the Committee but may be allowed reimbursement
19 for travel and incidental expenses, including per
20 diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as
21 persons employed intermittently in the Government
22 service are allowed expenses under section 5703(b)
23 of title 5, United States Code.
24 (d) DUTIES.—The duties of the Committee are as fol-
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 lows:
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
11
1 (1) To examine the implications for the democ-
2 racy of the United States of the disappearance of so
3 many local newspapers, digital news outlets, and
4 broadcasting outlets—
5 (A) in every State and territory;
6 (B) in rural, urban, suburban, insular, and
7 Tribal communities, of the United States; and
8 (C) that serve Black communities and non-
9 English-speaking communities.
10 (2) To assess—
11 (A) the impact the coronavirus pandemic
12 has had on the demise of the news industry;
13 and
14 (B) whether the Paycheck Protection Pro-
15 gram set forth in section 7(a)(36) of the Small
16 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)) has had
17 beneficial effects on local news organizations.
18 (3) To assess the impact of the rules and poli-
19 cies of the Federal Communications Commission on
20 local news.
21 (4) To assess the effectiveness of existing Fed-
22 eral statutes (including the Communications Act of
23 1934, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the
24 antitrust laws), regulations, institutions (including
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
12
1 the Corporation for Public Broadcasting), and pro-
2 grams in supporting the production of local news.
3 (5) To examine potential new mechanisms for
4 public funding for the production of local news to
5 meet the critical information needs of the people of
6 the United States and address systemic inequities in
7 media coverage and representation throughout the
8 country.
9 (6) To consider issues of transparency and
10 other guardrails, such as editorial independence
11 from government actors and a distinct, independent
12 legal and financial structure for the funding institu-
13 tion, which must be addressed if public funding is
14 viewed in principle as one path forward to support
15 production of local news.
16 (e) POWERS OF THE COMMITTEE.—
17 (1) HEARINGS.—The Committee may, for the
18 purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings,
19 sit and act at times and places, take testimony, and
20 receive evidence as the Committee considers appro-
21 priate.
22 (2) POWERS OF MEMBERS AND AGENTS.—Any
23 member of the Committee may, upon authorization
24 by the Committee, take any action that the Com-
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 mittee is authorized to take under this section.
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
13
1 (3) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—Subject to ap-
2 plicable privacy laws and relevant regulations, the
3 Committee may secure directly from any department
4 or agency of the United States information and data
5 necessary to enable it to carry out this section. Upon
6 written request of the chairperson of the Committee,
7 the head or acting representative of that department
8 or agency shall furnish the requested information to
9 the Committee not later than 30 days after receipt
10 of the request.
11 (f) OPERATING RULES AND PROCEDURE.—
12 (1) INITIAL MEETING.—The Committee shall
13 meet not later than 30 days after the date on which
14 a majority of the members of the Committee have
15 been appointed.
16 (2) MEETINGS.—The Committee shall convene
17 some of its public meetings in various regions of the
18 country.
19 (3) VOTING.—Each member of the Committee
20 shall have 1 vote.
21 (4) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Committee shall
22 adopt recommendations only upon a majority vote.
23 (5) QUORUM.—A majority of the members of
24 the Committee shall constitute a quorum, but a less-
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 er number of members may hold meetings, gather
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
14
1 information and evidence, and review draft reports
2 from staff.
3 (g) STAFF.—
4 (1) PERSONNEL.—The chairperson of the Com-
5 mittee may appoint staff to inform, support, and en-
6 able members of the Committee in the fulfillment of
7 their responsibilities. An individual serving on the
8 staff of the Committee may not be a local, State, or
9 Federal elected official or be affiliated with or em-
10 ployed by such an elected official during the dura-
11 tion of the service of such individual on the staff of
12 the Committee.
13 (2) EXPERT CONSULTANTS.—As needed, the
14 Committee may commission intermittent research or
15 other information from experts and provide stipends
16 for engagement consistent with relevant statutes and
17 regulations.
18 (h) DURATION.—The Committee shall terminate 60
19 days after the date on which the Committee presents the
20 findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Com-
21 mittee at a public hearing described in subsection (i)(3).
22 (i) REPORT.—
23 (1) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—Not later than 1
24 year after the date of the initial meeting of the Com-
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
25 mittee, the chairperson of the Committee shall sub-
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
15
1 mit to Congress a comprehensive report on the find-
2 ings, conclusions, and recommendations of the Com-
3 mittee in furtherance of the purpose of the Com-
4 mittee under subsection (b).
5 (2) PUBLIC ACCESS TO REPORT.—The report
6 submitted to Congress under paragraph (1) shall be
7 publicly available online for free.
8 (3) HEARING AND IMPLEMENTATION.—After
9 the Committee submits the report under paragraph
10 (1), the appropriate committees of Congress may
11 hold hearings at which the Committee may present
12 the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of
13 the Committee as set forth in the report.
14 (j) APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—Except as provided in
15 subsection (h), the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5
16 U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Committee.
17 (k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There
18 are authorized to be appropriated to the Committee
19 $1,000,000 to carry out this section.
Æ
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
•HR 3169 IH
VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:22 Jun 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3169.IH H3169
File and source
- File
- BILLS_bills-117hr3169ih_bills-117hr3169ih.pdf
- Size
- 251,041 bytes
- SHA-256
- 55bc16cba24a7d66ab2db56a6ffc08b779c7fb3cb113b260c7d69d25c6b80e14
- Original
- www.govinfo.gov