Motioned Legislative Bill Challenges Journalism in California
How legislative bill SB 911 is possible attack on community journalism and freedom of speech.
By Kelby McIntosh
This past week at the state capital building, publishers and journalists met for a vital hearing with The Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee to know the future state of the news industry for the state of California with legislative bill SB 911.
Motioned by California Senator Glazer, in February 2022, legislative bill SB 911 aims to appoint a fifteen-member political governing board to control federal grant allocation and add revenue from media entities. “A vibrant local press that informs the public and acts as a government watchdog has been vital to the survival of American democracy,” Senator Glazer said. “But over the past couple decades, the closure of many local newspapers and the decline of most others have created vast ‘news deserts’ where virtually no local coverage remains. This bill will offer news organizations and individuals the tools to revive the oversight function of the local press.”
The Hispanic media entity Sunset News and fourteen other news outlets supported the legislative bill SB 911; the legislative bill drew the ire of committee members and news publishers alike. “The idea of having a political presence in the newsroom is repugnant to me,” states California State Rep. Jim Patterson. “Bringing politics into the newsroom opens the door to myriads of issues that will contradict freedom of speech.” Paul Cobb, Publisher of the Oakland Post, stated, “A lot of the solutions in legislative bill SB 911 were discussed in earlier meetings without considering other alternative means.”
Legislative bill SB 911 would also see newly-established news entities having to apply by application and waiting a minimum of two years before they could apply for funding. What this means for new California journalism is unknown, as the committee meeting on legislative bill SB-911 was met with mixed reactions from both sides. Other news entities in opposition to SB 911 included Publisher Post News Group, The Los Angeles Sentinel, LA Watts Times, The San Francisco Sun Reporter, Inland Valley News, The Bakersfield Observer, The Pasadena Journal, and The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint.
Chairwoman, Cottie Petrie-Norris, voiced concerns for ethnic media companies and expressed the possibility of the PIM Board acting as a 501(c) nonprofit. Chairwoman Cottie Petrie-Norris also spoke to Senator Glazer’s Representative that SB 911 “didn’t feel thought out” and “would require a “pause” to hold another meeting for [Reps.] to present additional revisions.”
While all parties agreed that this bill opens up the vital conversation on the importance of ensuring that the communities served are protected from misinformation and provided with important news. What this means for the local community and ethnic media organizations remains unknown.
