Pennsylvania House Advances Vital Legislative Package to Support Local Journalism and Civic Information

HARRISBURG — On Wednesday, Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives passed two important journalism and civic-information bills (HB 2047 and HB 2048). The legislation is designed to support independent public-interest news that meets the most pressing information needs of communities across the Commonwealth. 

The legislative package, which Pennsylvania State Rep. Chris Rabb introduced and sponsored, includes two distinct approaches. HB 2047 establishes a state-backed fellowship program to place early- and mid-career journalists in community newsrooms across Pennsylvania. HB 2048 creates a Pennsylvania Civic Information Consortium to invest in local reporting projects that provide information Pennsylvanians need in their daily lives. This needs-based policy means the consortium can support everything from coverage of municipal government and schools to environmental health and traffic problems.

The state’s House Communications and Technology Committee advanced and approved both bills in February. Next year’s legislative session, beginning in early January, is the earliest the state Senate can consider the legislation.

“Right now, the country is facing overlapping crises: the rise of fascism, the climate emergency and corporate oligarchy. And the only way out of these crises is for everyday people to be civically engaged by voting, engaging in activism and joining community organizations,” said Rep. Rabb. “But for that to happen, people need to know what’s happening around them. These bills are a major step forward for an informed Pennsylvania, and support reliable, independent local news that will help people contribute to and participate in our democracy. I look forward to watching them continue to advance and to create an example for other states across the nation.”

“Across Pennsylvania, people want local news that actively meets their needs and supports their communities,” said Eric Thurm, Free Press Action’s civic media campaign manager. “There are hundreds of journalists statewide doing good work to inform their communities, but as large corporations buy up smaller outlets, Pennsylvanians are being served more national news — and more polarized news — that’s less relevant to their lives. No one, no matter their political persuasion, wants to live in a world where their only news options are outlets run by massive out-of-state conglomerates. Instead, these bills build on successful policies in other states to support working journalists, strengthen community cohesion and lay the foundation for a more informed and engaged Commonwealth.”

“We applaud Pennsylvania legislators for passing HB 2047 and HB 2048 through the House today. Every community needs and deserves quality reporting that informs voters and holds the powerful accountable, but in Pennsylvania access to journalism is under threat,” said Philip Hensley-Robin, Common Cause Pennsylvania executive director. “These bills present proven models to start to address that crisis. We need to make sure Pennsylvanians have access to the truth and have reporters covering their communities and asking the hard questions. Public-interest journalism is vital to our civic life.”

“Kudos to the House of Representatives for taking this step toward helping communities get the information they need by supporting the news ecosystem,” said Denise Clay-Murray, co-owner of the Philadelphia Hall Monitor and president of the Keystone Society of Professional Journalists. “This has the potential to bring some much-needed water to the parts of Pennsylvania that have become news deserts due to media consolidation and newspaper closings. My hope is that the Senate will act on this bill quickly.”

“Local communities, be they urban, suburban or rural, require access to reliable, routine information to thrive,” said Letrell Deshan Crittenden, director of the Center for Community-Engaged Media at Temple University. “Cutbacks and closures of local newsrooms have significantly limited access to essential information. This bill provides the resources required to help inform our local communities, and its passage is an important first step toward serving the information needs of Pennsylvania’s residents.”

“A robust and varied local news sector is vital for a healthy democracy,” said William Cotter, president & CEO of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. “Across Pennsylvania, communities depend on trustworthy, independent journalism to stay informed about public affairs and stay engaged in civic life. HB 2047 and HB 2048, sponsored by Representative Rabb, would provide even greater access to high-quality journalism while assisting journalists in developing their skills and advancing their careers. Ultimately, the greatest beneficiaries would be the public from having broader access to stronger local-news coverage that keeps citizens informed, engaged and able to hold government accountable.”

Background
Free Press Action spearheaded the legislative and organizing campaign that led to the creation of the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, which HB 2048 is modeled after. Since 2021, NJCIC has distributed more than $14 million to local newsrooms and organizations across the state. Free Press Action collaborated with local allies to create and implement the California Local News Fellowship program at UC Berkeley. Serving as inspiration for HB 2047, the program supports 75 fellows across the state annually, with a focus on communities with the greatest need of quality, trusted local news.