Preserve Democracy. Fight Misinformation. Hold Government Officials Accountable.
Support the California Journalism Preservation Act!
The California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA) is critical to preserving our democracy and fighting back against the spread of dangerous misinformation.
Big Tech is growing while misinformation is spreading, all while local newspapers are struggling to survive. Our democracy needs journalists, who work tirelessly to report the facts and hold government officials accountable.
Big Tech like Meta and Google use sophisticated tactics that starve local news publishers of ad revenue. They profit off the work done by local journalists without compensating them fairly -- or at all.
In order to ensure that newsrooms are being fairly compensated for their work, the California Journalism Preservation Act will require Google and Meta to come to the table to compensate news outlets for the use of outlets’ content on their platforms. It's only fair.
Why is the California Journalism Preservation Act necessary?
Newsrooms are shrinking, and local papers are dying at an alarming rate. In fact, 2,500 newspapers have shut their doors since 2004.
This vacuum has led to a media landscape where many individuals are falling victim to mis- and disinformation spread on social media, as highlighted by the events of the January 6th riots.
The rapid decline of local press also leaves many communities without a government watchdog. This has been shown to result in more corruption and less accountability in local government.
How will the California Journalism Preservation Act save local journalism and preserve our democracy?
Meta and Google profit from local journalism without compensating the outlets they share stories from.
By requiring these giant tech firms to negotiate with local media outlets for the right to use their content, the California Journalism Preservation Act will increase the amount of revenue available to grow newsrooms and hire journalists. AB 886 would require 70% of the funds collected from these agreements to be reinvested back into the newsroom and journalism jobs.
This additional funding - as evidenced by a similar effort in Australia - will result in a revitalized local press corps with the ability to fight back against misinformation, hold government officials accountable, and preserve democracy.
Take Action to Preserve Democracy!
We can’t preserve democracy, fight misinformation and save local journalism without your help. Sign the petition today!