In early September, the LWVWA Board of Directors gave the Local News Committee the green light to move forward with advocacy and education in connection with the League's new position to support local news. This work is important because, as our study “The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy" notes, local news plays a crucial role in defending democracy and empowering voters.
The committee's early efforts will include meeting with newspaper publishers around the state to discuss the League's work and support of Washington State SB 5199—bipartisan legislation that passed earlier this year that enables publishers to apply for a state Business & Occupation tax exemption. Attorney General Bob Ferguson asked that the legislation be introduced, saying the decline has made his work more challenging in several ways, including making it more difficult to educate people about how to file complaints about fraudulent business practices. Ferguson noted that one of his office’s highest profile cases, which resulted in a $12 million settlement against a motel chain, stemmed from a newspaper article that he read about the chain illegally providing information about customers to federal immigration officials.
The Local News Committee is also invested in promoting greater news media training for students and the general public. Local News Committee member Joanne Lisosky (LWV Tacoma/Pierce County) is kicking off a pilot program to offer News Media Literacy training to teachers to Spokane Public Schools social studies instructors in early 2024. Lisosky, a Pacific Lutheran University professor emeritus, taught News Media Literacy, journalism, and communications for more than 20 years.
Meanwhile, other state Leagues across the country continue to express their interest in LWV Washington's Local News Committee efforts. The Colorado state League was in contact with questions about the LWVWA study and position in preparation for a late September workshop titled: “No Local News: The Crisis Facing Democracy.” And in mid-September, Local News Committee member Lauren Snider (LWV Seattle/King County) responded to questions about the study and position for members at a Local League meeting in Virginia about rebuilding local news. The event in Hampton Roads was held in the wake of a series of newspaper closures in Virginia.
The League's study can be read on our website and is also available on Amazon. You can purchase the paperback version for $9.52 or the e-book version for $1.99.
