Media Power:
Massachusetts Needs a Public Fund for Local News and Civic Information If the many overlapping crises of 2025 have taught us anything, it’s that any hope for our future lies in building strength at the community level. Whether it’s protecting our neighbors against mass deportations, strengthening labor and tenant unions, assembling mutual-aid networks, or holding state and local lawmakers to account, our ability to weather the current political storm and lay the groundwork for what comes next will come down to how organized or connected we are.
Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism Local News Initiative found that a fifth of the nation lives in counties that are news deserts or are at risk of becoming one. This deficit most acutely impacts low income, rural areas.
That’s why a coalition of local journalists, community media leaders, scholars, and advocates— organized through the national Media Power Collaborative—is calling on the state legislature to join the wave. Massachusetts is ripe for the creation of an The message, then, is clear: If we’re truly independent grantmaking body that can committed to building a democracy that direct public funds where they’re needed serves each and every one of us, a structural most: to the newsrooms and civic information reimagining of our local media system needs efforts that are closest to the communities to be at the top of our collective to-do list. they serve. This would include independent newspapers, nonprofit outlets, local digital It may seem like an odd time to make this call. startups, public access centers, and more. After all, federal lawmakers recently passed the Rescissions Act of 2025, which stripped Crucially, this approach comes with strong $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation safeguards. Lawmakers would have no say of Public Broadcasting, ending government in who receives funding; that role would be support for NPR, PBS, and their member held by an independent board of community stations. The bill was signed into law on July members, media leaders, and civic leaders. 24, making good on a threat that Republican That’s how we protect press freedom and leaders have been making for decades. prevent political interference.
But there’s a prerequisite material for this kind of community connection and powerbuilding: reliable, trusted information about what’s happening in our streets and in our halls of power. And right now, Massachusetts residents—like the rest of the country— find themselves in a fundamentally broken news environment. But beyond the federal chaos, there is a growing movement at lower levels Relentless consolidation, corporate greed, of government to support informed and an ever-changing digital landscape communities. Dozens of lawmakers across have hollowed out our local media system, the country are exploring legislation to creating a critical deficit support local news and civic information, of locally-rooted public- and several of them are turning these bills interest journalism into law. California leaders, for instance, just and civic information. announced the creation of a new Civic Media A 2022 report from Fund, which will distribute grants to local outlets across the state based on the most pressing community information needs.
There’s also a proven model to lean on. Since 2021, the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium has distributed over $10 million to more than 60 projects—from revitalizing local newspapers to supporting community media in underrepresented neighborhoods. This model has the added benefit of attracting philanthropic investment, adding another pillar of financial support.
Massachusetts can—and should—be next. This state deserves more than news deserts and media monopolies. It deserves trusted, local journalism that reflects the realities of its residents and responds to their needs. A public fund for local news would represent a historic investment in creating a more inclusive, resilient, and democratic media system. Our elected officials have the opportunity to take a powerful step toward that future. Let’s make it happen. The Media Power Collaborative is a national coalition of community journalists, community leaders, and advocates who believe that a transformed media system is fundamental to civic and democratic health. MPC members are working across the country to advance policy change to support informed communities and local news. Visit https://mediapowercollab.org/ for more information.
------------------------------------ALEX FRANDSEN
PAGE LAYOUTS:
Phoebe Delmonte: p.1,4,5 Ruby Garcia: p.2,7 Akbota Saudabayeva: p.3 Adrian Alvarez: p.6,8