$175M California journalism agreement sparks debate on industry impact and inclusivity

Home > SPJ News > $175M California journalism agreement sparks debate on industry impact and inclusivity

8/22/2024

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists calls on California decisionmakers to ensure that yesterday’s groundbreaking agreement between California lawmakers and Google to provide new funding for news outlets serves as a genuine step forward in reversing our nation’s alarming decline in newsroom employment.

The first-in-the-nation partnership will provide $175 million for local journalism across California and will fund an AI research program. News outlets report that the deal departs significantly from legislation promoted by both news publishers and media employee unions earlier in the year.

“It is concerning that journalists appeared to lose their seat at the table as this initiative was negotiated,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “At the very least journalists should be deeply involved in how this plan will be rolled out, as it could potentially impact their livelihoods.”

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) led the effort and said, “this partnership represents a cross-sector commitment to supporting a free and vibrant press.” California news publishers will be beneficiaries of a News Transformation Fund, which will be administered by University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism.

The Media Guild of the West and the Pacific Media Workers Guild denounced the agreement, citing the omission of support for journalist-run news cooperatives, among other concerns.

“As other states study this effort for lessons on how to bolster local journalism, I hope California leaders will set an example that both centers and honors the input of working professionals who fight tirelessly to keep the public informed,” Blaize-Hopkins said.

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