BOSTON — The future of local journalism hangs in the balance.
On Tuesday, State Representative Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead) announced the inclusion of an amendment — co-filed with State Representative Ed Coppinger (D-Roxbury) — to the House Economic Development Bill establishing a special legislative commission to assess the current state of the journalism industry in Massachusetts.
Described by Coppinger as “urgent and overdue,” the 23-person commission is meant to help to discover and reverse concerning trends in the news industry, while at the same time strengthen local news outlets.
“A sustainable and strong journalism industry, with well-staffed local newspapers holding the government accountable and telling the stories that bind our communities together, is essential to maintaining a healthy democracy,” Ehrlich said. “With our commission, the Commonwealth will convene experts, industry leaders, journalists and reporters in the field, and concerned citizens to produce a comprehensive assessment of the state of journalism here in Massachusetts.”
Over the last decade and a half, corporate acquisitions and layoffs have caused one in five newspapers nationwide to shutter, while numerous others have been hollowed out. In fact, a report from the University of North Carolina reported that since 2004, there has been a net loss of 1,800 local newspapers throughout the country.
As a result, the Pew Research Center found that newsroom employment has dropped by roughly a quarter in less than 10 years, creating an abundance of “news deserts” — entire regions where there is little to no original news reporting about small cities and towns.
“We need reliable local news to be able to participate in community life,” said Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University professor and media commentator. “Unfortunately, corporate chain ownership is destroying newspapers in Massachusetts and around the country. A study commission could document the extent of the problem, highlight independent projects that are doing good work, and come up with some recommendations to prevent our cities and towns from becoming news deserts.”
Making the situation more dire, COVID-19 has already had a bigger impact on the newspaper industry than the 2008 financial crisis, which saw newspapers experience a 19 percent decline in revenue.
While bigger papers like the New York Times and the Washington Post have a large subscription base to curtail damage, local newspapers are unlikely to survive. Many of these papers are owned by publicly traded companies saddled with debt even before COVID-19. (The Item is published by local ownership, Essex Media Group.)
“There are a variety of models and new approaches being pioneered by non-profits and other media outlets that are lighting the way forward for sustainable, community journalism.” Ehrlich said. “This commission will be able to consider all of those, as well as the variety of challenges and opportunities faced by journalists, publishers, and readers in a changing industry.”
The House Economic Development Bill awaits a vote on the House floor before being sent to the Senate for consideration.