"For several years, Congress had considered measures to provide tax credits that would help news organizations and to force Google and Facebook to pay for the journalism they repurpose. Despite some bipartisan support, especially for tax credits, those measures fell short, with no prospect of success under Trump and his MAGA allies. As a result, attention has turned from Washington to state-led initiatives, which have proven to be a mixed bag."
""Our estimate is that newsrooms will get about $74 million in 2026 from state governments as a result of public policy," said Steven Waldman, president of Rebuild Local News, an advocacy organization. That represents an increase over 2025, he told me, and about a dozen states are poised to make a serious effort on the policy front in the months ahead."
Donald Trump's second term shifted focus from federal to state-level efforts to support local news after congressional measures for tax credits and payments from Google and Facebook failed. State-led initiatives are expanding, with an estimated $74 million in state-derived newsroom funding projected for 2026 and roughly a dozen states preparing serious policy efforts. The most prominent example, a California–Google partnership, has delivered only $20 million of an initially framed nearly $250 million commitment, with no newsroom having received funds and no timeline for continued support. The deal also included a $62.5 million AI accelerator that has not yet been set up.
Read at Poynter
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