Over 240 U.S. House Members Urge Support for Local Media

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, April 20, 2020 | 5:27pm CT

U.S. Congress

A bipartisan letter detailing the advertising collapse impacting local media from Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Bill Flores (R-TX), Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Fred Upton (R-MI) and over 240 lawmakers was sent to the Trump Administration urging support for local news and media outlets. The letter urges the President to:

• Direct Cabinet secretaries to review any resources intended to be used for advertising campaigns and have them expedite such activities with local media outlets;

• Direct federal agency advertising dollars for existing and new federal programs where community outreach is needed for spending with local media, including those serving minority and rural communities; and

• Incentivize a portion of stimulus funds provided to businesses for their recovery efforts for advertising on local media.

The letter from the Members of the House follows an earlier letter signed by 19 Democratic Senators that requested future coronavirus stimulus relief legislation include support for local journalism. In addition, four Senators sent a bipartisan letter to Senate leadership urging support for expanding U.S. Small Business Administration loan access to struggling local newspapers and radio and television stations