"rebuild a robust and dynamic California press corps for years to come"
"the vital role of journalism in our democracy."
"It seems shockingly short-sighted when it comes to supporting local journalism which by now we know has no commercial future,"
"I understand there may be budget shortfalls and there are always thoughtful decisions that need to be made about funding ... but local journalism should be a higher priority."
Governor Gavin Newsom removed state funding for the California Civic Media Program in his proposed 2026–27 budget, effectively undoing a five-year partnership with Google meant to support local news. The initiative had matched $10 million from the state with $10 million from Google to help struggling newsrooms amid a long decline in local journalism; Northwestern University research shows California has lost more than 40% of its local newspapers since 2005. Lawmakers and supporters expressed surprise and concern that funding was eliminated without explanation amid a $348.9 billion budget proposal, raising questions about the future of local reporting.
Read at The Mercury News
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