| Friend,
Relentless newsroom layoffs and corporate consolidation have left our media system in grave danger1 — and the tech oligarchs supporting the Trump regime are only making matters worse. Federal funding for public media — already a mere fraction of what strong democracies around the world spend — will continue facing vigorous attacks2 over the next four years from the likes of Elon Musk and FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
The Trump administration has made it clear that it seeks a compliant press3 rather than an independent one.
But this is more than just an industry crisis. Communities are facing mass deportations, severe cuts to social-welfare programs and worsening environmental disasters — and insufficient access to robust local news and civic information makes for even more grim and uncertain circumstances.
That’s why Free Press Action is proud to support the launch of Local News for the People: A Policy Agenda for Meeting Civic-Information Needs: a bold framework for policy change that will help create a media system that puts community needs above corporate profits. We believe this is the best way to achieve our shared vision for the local-media system we deserve, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe in this agenda as much as we do, please add your name today. This ambitious agenda was crafted by Media Power Collaborative members with the support of Free Press Action staff — and already more than 50 prominent organizations and individual leaders have endorsed it. As state and local lawmakers debate legislative action to support local news, we’re hopeful that this agenda will pave the way for a future in which communities are no longer left in the dark.
Even as federal politics wreak havoc on our institutions and daily lives, we see a clear path forward for our work: We need big, structural changes to our media system, and we’re very excited about our big plan to make it all happen.
Let’s never forget: The structure of our media system, and whose interests it serves, are the result of policy choices — ones we have the ability to influence.
Thank you for your support,
Alex Frandsen
Journalism Program Manager
Free Press Action
P.S. You can read more about our plan’s concrete next steps here!
1. “Fighting for the Future of Journalism,” Free Press, Jan. 27, 2025 2. “Elon Musk's Plan to Defund Public Media and Defend Trumpism,” Free Press, Nov. 25, 2024 3. “Bending the Knee to Trump Is as Easy as ABC,” Free Press, Dec. 18, 2024  |
