Commentary

[COLUMN] North Carolina should invest in the local news its communities need

California’s new journalism law gives North Carolina a chance to think about how small local newsrooms can keep doing their work.

I've been watching California's effort to support local news with a mix of optimism and trepidation.

On Sept. 30, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law creating refundable tax credits for qualifying news organizations that employ journalists. The program, which starts in 2027, is designed to help outlets keep reporters and add new positions.

North Carolina, which just saw a bunch of layoffs at McClatchy-owned newspapers here and elsewhere across the country, should look at what California's doing and consider a program of its own.

The need's certainly here. A WRAL report citing Northwestern University's Medill Local News Initiative counted eight North Carolina counties with no original source of local news and 52 more nearing that status. Even where news outlets remain, fewer reporters are on hand to cover schools, local government, public safety, and the decisions that shape people's lives.

Southpoint Access covers those things in South Durham, from Durham Public Schools and the Durham City Council to new developments, local businesses, and everyday questions posed by neighbors. You'll also find a growing library of resource guides about restaurants, youth activities, and other information that can help you with daily life.

That takes time and money. Currently, I do this mostly on my own. Small newsrooms pay for reporting, editing, technology, and put in the time to turn meeting agendas, public records, and community questions into useful information.

I know with a certainty that I don't want Southpoint Access to rely on government handouts. I'm happy to share that we just finished a successful campaign that raised more than $5,000 from generous local readers (thank you all so very much). That kind of support matters and shows that neighbors want this work to continue.

But a modest reader campaign can't provide steady revenue needed to add reporting capacity at scale. Advertising and other earned revenue matter too. Public support can help small newsrooms sustain their work, alongside these other sources.

North Carolina's already got a local news funding effort worth recognizing. This week, the North Carolina Local News Lab Fund announced $1.27 million in grants to 36 organizations. Since 2017, that organization has invested $7.7 million in the state's news and information network. That philanthropic support is doing important work, but it can't carry the entire burden.

A state program could build on those efforts. California's law covers qualifying digital, print, and broadcast outlets. It requires organizations to maintain editorial standards, including a publicly available corrections policy. North Carolina leaders could adapt that approach to fit our communities.

It could include small, independent, and digital-first publishers, as well as nonprofit and for-profit outlets. It could give priority to small newsrooms and communities with limited coverage, set an annual funding cap, and report publicly on how that money's used.

My trepidation comes from recognizing that editorial independence needs protection too. Elected officials shouldn't have a say in what a newsroom covers or how it reports.

Taxpayers can be expected to ask fair questions about using public money this way, but I'd tell them this: Local reporting helps people understand public decisions, changes to services, and ways to take part in their communities. When fewer journalists are watching public institutions, neighbors have fewer ways to find out what's happening and why. In some places, they'd have almost no way at all. For me, that's terrifying.

A state program like the one revving up in California can't solve every challenge facing local news. But it could give small newsrooms another way to keep reporters working and serving their communities here in the Tar Heel State.

Best,

Wes Platt
Neighborhood News Guy

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