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Massachusetts Bill Aims To Address Decline Of Local Journalism

A stack of newspapers.
Jeff Eaton
/
Creative Commons / flickr.com/photos/jeffeaton

A Massachusetts bill would create a commission to look at declines in local journalism.

The bill's author, Rep. Lori Ehrlich of Marblehead, explained the measure's origin as it faces a second hearing Tuesday.

Mass. state Rep. Lori Ehrlich: Earlier this year, the media industry lost about 1,000 people to layoffs in one week. And that has continued into the year.

We're seeing quite a few hedge fund-owned outlets now. Hedge funds are gobbling up a lot of these local news outlets. And their reason for ownership is not always about providing local news. Hedge funds exist to make money for their shareholders.

So the concern about their ownership is that local news might be lost. And we've seen actual instances where local newspapers are bought up and then effectively sold for parts.

Carrie Healy, NEPR: The bill mentions "establishing a commission to study journalism in underserved communities." What are you defining as an underserved community? Have you identified some in Massachusetts already?

There are certainly communities that are underserved in Massachusetts. Many local outlets have just disappeared.

One hedge fund company that owns all of the Wicked Locals, and some other papers, has just consolidated many local newspapers. It doesn't mean they're news deserts. It just means that there might be fewer journalists covering more and more territory.

So what we're seeing in newsrooms is oftentimes photographers are laid off, or editors are laid off. Journalists — instead of covering one town, they're covering several towns, and a city.

These newspapers serve as credible sources of fact, and also define the character of the community. So really what's lost is more than just the coverage of what's going on, it's the character of the community.

Have you heard from the western part of the state? It seems like a number of the proposed members of this commission were from the eastern part of the state, and fairly removed from day-to-day journalism. Have you heard from that side as well?

Yes, I have. I've heard from several outlets in western Mass. One in particular that I think is a fascinating model for a possible direction to save a local paper [is] The Berkshire Eagle. The owner of the paper — it's owned by an investor group that actually bought back the paper from a hedge fund company that had purchased it. And they were unhappy with the way the community was being covered, so they bought it back, and seems to be making a success of the paper.

It's growing digitally, and their subscriptions have, from what's seen, remained constant. 

So, yes — I have heard from western Mass., and the criticism is valid, and will be something that I can assure you will be taken into account as the makeup of the committee is expanded.

For a moment, pick up your magic wand and your fortune-telling ball. What if there was a more robust journalistic presence? Would that make lawmakers squirm?

I think it may. And certainly the role of journalists in holding power accountable includes elected officials. But it's really everybody.

That is their role as a watchdog, as a way to hold people accountable.

So that function may make some lawmakers squirm. But I think the lawmakers that have come forward to support the bill, and testify in favor of it, have really shown a very mature understanding of the important role of journalism is in the functioning of our democracy.

Carrie Healy hosts the local broadcast of "Morning Edition" at NEPM. She also hosts the station’s weekly government and politics segment “Beacon Hill In 5” for broadcast radio and podcast syndication.
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