Newsom Signs Bill Supporting Local Journalism, Giving Tax Breaks to News Organizations
The law offers refundable credits of up to $20,000 per journalist and an added $15,000 for each new hire.
- On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2222, the Community NEWS Act, establishing refundable employment tax credits to help state news organizations retain and hire journalists.
- This measure addresses a severe industry decline; California has lost more than 12,000 local journalists since 2002, and nearly 40% of U.S. newspapers have vanished over two decades.
- Beginning in 2027, the law provides $20,000 for each of the first five full-time journalists, $15,000 for each additional journalist, and a stackable $15,000 credit for new hires.
- While the California Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill, citing "unlimited fiscal liability to the state," Newsom argued the legislation ensures government accountability against attacks from President Donald Trump.
- Industry groups like SAG-AFTRA, representing 160,000 media employees, view the act as a model for states facing revenue losses from search and AI technology changes threatening local news viability.
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California’s big local news bill becomes law
At the end of August, the state of California passed a bill to give news organizations tax credits based on the number of journalists they employ. It’s the largest local news bill in the United States — expected to generate as much as $40 million for the state’s newsrooms each year — and on Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law. Assembly Bill 2222, known as the Community Newsroom Employment and Workforce Sustainability Act, …
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