CNPA staff
SACRAMENTO, CA – August 21, 2024 – The California News Publishers Association (CNPA) recognizes the public-private partnership announced today by Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, the State of California, Google and other technology companies as a meaningful step to support local journalism. While this initiative is a positive development, it does not fully address the critical needs of California’s news industry.
“We applaud efforts to bring together resources from the public and private sectors to support local journalism,” said Charles F. Champion II, president and CEO of the California News Publishers Association. “However, we believe the financial commitments from Google and other technology companies should have been stronger, given the significant revenue they generate from distributing journalistic content.”
Julie Makinen, CNPA chair, added, “Over the past two years, there have been ambitious legislative initiatives to better fund local news in California. We always knew it would be an uphill battle to pass, sign and implement legislation. While this is not what we had hoped for at the beginning, it is a start and will provide some help to newsrooms across the state. More needs to be done and we are committed to working on it.”
The partnership will establish a News Transformation Fund under the auspices of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism that will distribute tens of millions of dollars over five years to support local news organizations across California. In addition, the partnership will establish an AI accelerator program that will be accessible to news publishers, but the details of this have yet to be worked out.
“AI presents both opportunities and threats to the news industry. We want this accelerator to move quickly and provide California publishers and journalists with comprehensive access to equip them with the expertise and tools they need to advance news gathering, build deeper connections with audiences, and improve their business while preventing misinformation,” Makinen said. “This is urgent, and more details need to be announced as soon as possible.” Publishers and journalists need to be meaningfully and fairly included in the opportunities this program offers.
CNPA is committed to maximizing the benefits of this initiative for local news organizations, especially in underserved communities.
“We will continue to work diligently within this framework while pushing for broader reforms that ensure a sustainable future for journalism,” Champion added. “This partnership is a beginning, not an end, and we will continue to advocate for the resources and support necessary to sustain a free and vibrant press in California.”
About the California News Publishers Association:
The California News Publishers Association represents over 700 newspapers and online publications across California. The CNPA advocates for the common interests of the state’s news media, supports the principles of press freedom, and ensures that local news organizations continue to play an important role in California’s democracy. For more information, visit www.cnpa.com.
For further information please contact:
Charles F. Champion II
California News Publishers Association
President and CEO
