Some 800 pages in, the bill's authors have buried a dramatic expansion of the pandemic loan program, making hundreds of local news stations eligible for loans.
A group of prominent liberals in the chamber sent a letter to their leadership insisting that any future coronavirus stimulus contain substantial money for "Local journalism and media."
The local news bailout that made it into the HEROES Act is small by comparison to the whole bill's $3-trillion price tag.
The idea of federal funding for local media has grown increasingly popular among Democrats, making its way into Sen. Bernie Sanders's influential presidential platform, among others.
Only the government, they say, can keep independent local media organizations afloat.
Fears about the withering of local media are not unjustified, but there are real and profound risks that come with paying journalists from the public fisc.
Some local news sources are struggling financially right now, and a government bailout doubtless sounds appealing.
https://freebeacon.com/media/a-free-press-cant-expect-a-free-lunch/
A group of prominent liberals in the chamber sent a letter to their leadership insisting that any future coronavirus stimulus contain substantial money for "Local journalism and media."
The local news bailout that made it into the HEROES Act is small by comparison to the whole bill's $3-trillion price tag.
The idea of federal funding for local media has grown increasingly popular among Democrats, making its way into Sen. Bernie Sanders's influential presidential platform, among others.
Only the government, they say, can keep independent local media organizations afloat.
Fears about the withering of local media are not unjustified, but there are real and profound risks that come with paying journalists from the public fisc.
Some local news sources are struggling financially right now, and a government bailout doubtless sounds appealing.
https://freebeacon.com/media/a-free-press-cant-expect-a-free-lunch/
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