• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, October 9, 2025

State politicians are lining up to reverse the loss of local news outlets. But it is not yet clear that they are succeeding. 

Case in point: A law passed in New Jersey in 2018 led to $10 million being provided to 65 organizations. But funding was cut to zero for the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium in the most recent budget, although lobbying resulted in $2.5 million being added, according to Megan Rogers, writing for the Granite State News Collaborative. 

We should all be grateful for that $2.5 million. But is it enough to really help? 

Similarly, New Mexico legislators allocated $500,000 to support local news initiatives. But again, is that enough to prevent more new deserts from developing? And will newsrooms even receive the money promised by states?

Earlier this year, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed cutting a $30 million payout to support California newsrooms by $20 million during the state’s 2025-26 fiscal year. Partner Google also reduced its contribution.

Forgive us for being skeptical. Sure, something is better than nothing. But grants and tax cuts for newspapers are so easy to scrap when desperate legislatures are looking for money.

Moreover, critics might ask if  newspapers should be supported by the very government they cover and try to hold accountable. 

The answer is that most will probably accept any help they can get. 

“I do believe that there ought to be public funding of local news across the country because until we have a replacement model for the advertising model that was lost, we need to think of it as a public good, just like transportation and housing and water and electricity, because while communities can be successful, they are much more successful when they have local news and when there’s transparency in government decision-making,” says Chris Daggett, interim executive director and board chair of the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, Rogers reports.