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Diverse Advocates Unite in Support of Local News Survival at the Hastings-on-Hudson Rally
A Coalition Wants to Revitalize Struggling Newspapers Immediately with Proposed Tax Incentives
An array of interested parties came together in Hastings-on-Hudson to highlight the critical circumstances that local news organizations are in. The gathering was an ardent demonstration of support for the continued existence of local media. Voices from tech startups, youth organizations, and seasoned publishers banded together to push for state legislation offering tax incentives as a lifeline for struggling newspapers, in response to the recent suspensions of publications like The Scarsdale Inquirer and Rivertowns Enterprise, which highlighted the urgency of the issue. Leading the charge was Qiqo.org’s Lucas Cioffi, with notables such as Zachary Richner and Assemblymember Mary Jane Shimsky lending their support. The purpose of the event was to promote the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, which suggests tax rebates for hiring local journalists.
(PHOTO: City & State New York)
Legislative Safeguards and Unity among New York Media Outlets are Urgently Needed in Response to a Local News Crisis
In a recent article in Smart News, the depressing data of a declining local media landscape of more than 3,000 newspapers that have closed countrywide since 2005 resonated with the coalition’s call for action. Since 2004, the number of news outlets in New York alone has decreased by half. Thirty of these outlets closed in 2022, leaving some counties without a single newspaper. Realizing how important community-based media is to maintaining democracy, the Empire State Local News Coalition grew into a powerful force that brought together newspapers from all over the state to work together to preserve local reporting. The Hastings-on-Hudson event serves as a call to action for legislative intervention to protect the free press, which is the cornerstone of American democracy, while the fight for the survival of local news continues.
