Congressman DeSaulnier Introduces Legislation to Recognize the Importance of Saving Local News

Statement

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) will introduce a House Resolution to recognize the importance of local news with Members in a working group DeSaulnier formed to protect local news, including Representatives Diana DeGette (CO-01), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08). As part of the bill's introduction, he will host a special order on the floor of the U.S. House with Members of Congress on Tuesday, April 2nd.

Since 2004, 1,800 local papers have been closed or merged. As a result, the industry has suffered massive layoffs across the country. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2004, 71,640 people worked as reporters and editors in the newspaper industry, but as of 2017 that number shrunk to 39,210--a 45 percent decrease. In the Bay Area alone, newspapers have witnessed a dramatic swing from about 1,500 journalists at its high point, down to less than 300 journalists to serve roughly 7 million people.

Local News Special Order
Date: Tuesday, April 2nd
Time: Approximately 4:30 p.m. PST, however timing is fluid due to floor votes (we will update as it gets closer).
Participants: Hosted by Congressman DeSaulnier with participation from Congresswoman Diana DeGette and other Members of the working group on local news.

Source