Friend,

The California legislature has introduced a bill so bad that it will:

1. break the open internet
2. make it harder for websites to remove hateful content
3. provide giant giveaways to the same corporations and hedge funds that have destroyed local news

Backed by powerful media lobbies, the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA) would not help smaller publishers working to fill the gaps left by the commercial local-news crisis. Policymakers should take action to support local news, but the CJPA is the wrong solution and it must be stopped.

The only preservation happening here is the preservation of a broken business model that keeps media executives wealthy and harms communities. Will you tell CA legislators to oppose the California Journalism Preservation Act (AB886)?

Just how bad is this bill? Let’s break it down:

• It will break the open internet: Right now, any website can freely link to any other website — but the CJPA would create a “link tax” that would extract payments from search engines and social-media platforms. To make matters worse, the bill would give the proceeds to the very same companies that have destroyed local news: big corporate publishers like Gannett, vulture capitalists like Alden Global Capital and disinformation peddlers like Sinclair. Creating “link taxes” will make it harder to discover and share content online.
• It won’t do anything to improve local reporting: There’s nothing in this bill that would benefit small and community-focused publishers. It’s so poorly designed that money would flow to giant broadcasters, hedge-fund-owned newspaper chains, clickbait websites, hate-mongering outlets and publications that don’t do anything to hold the powerful accountable.
• It will force social-media platforms to promote and pay for hate speech: The CJPA would force platforms to compensate websites peddling extremism, hate and disinformation and discourage companies from removing or reducing the amount of hateful and otherwise harmful content.

Instead of pushing this disastrous legislation, California lawmakers should pursue public policies that support vigorous local reporting, invest in noncommercial outlets and serve communities with the news and information they need to participate in our democracy.

Your action today could not be more critical. Tell your legislators to oppose the California Journalism Preservation Act (AB886)!

Thanks for all that you do,

Mike Rispoli and the rest of the Free Press Action team
freepress.net

P.S. The California Journalism Preservation Act would pad the profits of media conglomerates, break the open internet and do nothing to serve local communities. Urge your legislators to reject this disastrous legislation today.