Legislative watch on Journalism
Legal Public Notice AB 2323 CINA Supports
Legal Public Notice AB 2323 CINA Supports
Legal Public Notice AB 2323 CINA Supports
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor [D]
AB 2323 seeks to modernize California’s public notice framework while
maintaining the legal protections associated with newspapers of general
circulation. The bill expands digital access to public notices so that members of
the public can locate important information through additional platforms while
preservin
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor [D]
AB 2323 seeks to modernize California’s public notice framework while
maintaining the legal protections associated with newspapers of general
circulation. The bill expands digital access to public notices so that members of
the public can locate important information through additional platforms while
preserving existing requirements for publication in qualifying newspapers.
By allowing notices to be available through both traditional and digital formats,
the bill seeks to improve accessibility to legally required information while
maintaining the established role of newspapers of general circulation within the
public notice system
CINA supports AB 2323 and is working with CA Black Media on this solid legislation to protect public notice for newspapers and protects public transparency.
Possible Legislation in Progress
Legal Public Notice AB 2323 CINA Supports
Legal Public Notice AB 2323 CINA Supports
Community Disaster Response Reporting Fund - CPUC phone tax to reimburse disaster reporting.
CINA, Rebuild, Common Cause and Media Workers are meeting as a working group and seeking an author and building out details.
CA/Google "deal" - Status
Legal Public Notice AB 2323 CINA Supports
CA/Google "deal" - Status
SB 155 - Google settlement - GoBiz/Asm Buffy Wicks/ Approved Oct. 11, 2025 Gov. Newsom: budget in question as state portion is not included in the 2027 budget Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. An arrangement between the State of California and Google is being worked on to pay California news publishers to mitigate the damage the monopoly has ca
SB 155 - Google settlement - GoBiz/Asm Buffy Wicks/ Approved Oct. 11, 2025 Gov. Newsom: budget in question as state portion is not included in the 2027 budget Assemblymember Buffy Wicks. An arrangement between the State of California and Google is being worked on to pay California news publishers to mitigate the damage the monopoly has caused to the news industry. GoBiz is planned to work out the distribution of any deal funds. The advisory board seats include: California News Publishers Association(2 seats), California Black Media, Latino Media Collaborative and Ethnic Media Services and Media Guild of the West, with two at large seats. CINA seeks a position on the board.
AB 2222 Assemblymember Chris Ward
REBUILD LOCAL NEWS - Explainer: California’s Local Journalist Employment Tax Credits (AB 2222)
Introduced by Assemblymember Christopher M. Ward, (D) San Diego, on Feb. 19, 2026
Would create refundable tax credits for California local news organizations based on the number of journalists they employ, with enhanced benefits for the smallest community newsrooms and outlets creating new journalist jobs.
We designed this policy so that local print, digital, and broadcast outlets alike benefit regardless of whether they are for-profit businesses, nonprofits or sole proprietorships. Similar versions of this approach have had a strong political track record in recent years, winning approval from lawmakers in Illinois, New York and New Mexico with broad support from local news stakeholders. AB 2222 creates two types of refundable tax credits for employing journalists. (“Refundable” means that credits in excess of an organization’s tax liability are paid in cash, like a grant.)
The first credit, a job retention credit, is worth $20,000 per journalist for up to five positions, plus $15,000 per every additional journalist. The second credit, a $15,000 “new hire” credit for news organizations that expand journalist headcount, can be stacked on top of the retention credits. Use this calculator to estimate the dollar benefit to your news organization from AB 2222.
For example: A nonprofit community news website with three full-time news staffers covering the Central Valley would be eligible for $60,000 a year under this program. If the publication hired one more reporter – or converted a freelancer or part-time staffer into a full-time editorial employee – the publication would earn $95,000 in benefits. The program includes objective safeguards, outlined in the eligibility section below, to prevent abuse by partisan "pink slime" operations and other bad actors, while not giving the government any discretion over editorial content. Inclusive Benefits We worked with legislative staff to create a structure designed to allow commercial, 501(c)3 and sole proprietor news organizations to benefit equally from the program.
A refundable credit against “net tax” reduces what is owed after all other deductions and exemptions are applied. If the net tax goes to zero, a news organization can get the rest as a check. For qualified sole proprietors with pass-through income rather than wages, credits can be applied against personal income tax. For non-profits to receive a credit, they will file paperwork with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB). Non-profits are already required to file annual information returns. The FTB may create a new form specific to these credits, similar to the process for the California Motion Picture and Television Production Credit. Transparent & Objective Eligibility The program provides objective qualifications for a local news organization to be eligible for credits.
Outlets can apply as any one of the following types:
● Digital News Outlet: Must have a primary mission of publishing news about California or a local community, publish at least monthly, and prove that at least 33% of its audience is located within the state. (Print or broadcast outlets with digital presences can also qualify.)
● Broadcast Station: Must have an FCC license and a broadcasting area that is at least 33% located within California.
● Print Publication: Must have a USPS periodicals mailing privilege, publish at least monthly, and either be based in-state or prove 33% of its distribution is within California. Additional standards apply to all organizations, regardless of media type:
● Established Presence: The outlet must be either organized in California or legally registered to do business in the state for at least 12 months before the tax year begins.
● Ownership Disclosure: The outlet must publicly list all beneficial owners, or its board of directors if it is a nonprofit, on its website or in its publication.
● Corrections Policy: The outlet must maintain and publicly display an editorial policy for error correction and provide an accessible way for the public to report complaints.
● Insurance: The outlet must carry active media liability insurance throughout the tax year.
● Independence from Political Influence: The organization cannot be controlled by a Political Action Committee (PAC) or a 501(c)(4). It cannot receive more than 15% of its gross revenue from these types of political organizations.
○ Standard broadcast political advertising revenue in the FCC regulated windows do not count towards this 15 percent limit. Eligible Employees (Qualifying Journalists) To claim the credit, the journalists employed must meet these standards:
● Full-time position: Must work at least 30 hours/week and earn at least $35,000 annually.
● Residency: Must live within 50 miles of the news organization's coverage area.
● Job Duties: Must involve gathering, preparing, directing the recording of, producing, collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, presenting, or publishing state or local community news for dissemination to the local community, including roles such as reporter, correspondent, photographer, videographer, editor, and digital producer.
Questions, comments, feedback? Contact mattpearce@rebuildlocalnews.org and geneperry@rebuildlocalnews.org
TO: The California Civic Media Program Advisory Board and the Governor’s Office of Business and Econ
We are a group of 107 California owned and operated independent newspapers and news outlets.
Below (on page two) is our specific of our recommended/requested guidelines for the Google funding your office has been charged with distributing.
This nationwide map can be a helpful tool to predict number of journalists, by Muck Rack.
https://muckrack.com/research/local-journalist-index
California ranks 41st out of 50 states for the number of reporters with 6.1 per 100,000.
According to the data, California’s population of 39.43 million has approximately 2,133 journalists.
According to CINA’s own research, cross referenced with the Northwestern University research, we estimate there to be 225 independent newspapers owned and operated in California, 75 digital news outlets and 175 out-of-state chain newspapers.
We assert that rewarding outlets for spending resources on professional journalists and for preserving a physical, unchangeable historical record — printed newspapers — must be prioritized to be revived first.
When the locally owned smaller, community publications are taken care of first, the unique character, culture and diversity of our communities are best preserved … by the reporters and companies who live there.
Below is our request for distribution of $20 million in funds to support California’s journalism in the best, most powerful and meaningful way.
Proposed CA Civic Media Program guidelines and d istribution Schedule
By California Independent News Alliance (CINA)
Qualifying Newsrooms meet all of the following:
—it is a professional news publication that primarily serves California since Jan. 2023
— is primarily a news publication - print and or digital
—it has at least one full time reporter (journalist), or full time equivalent
—has to disclose their ownership type
—has media liability insurance
—publishes in print a minimum of 24 times a year or digitally 52 times a year
—is not funded by 501c4 or a political action committee
—has $100,000 revenue minimum
Definition of Journalist:
A California resident paid professional journalist with a byline (minimum of 10 per year), who can be described as one or more of the following: writes or gathers the news, edits the news, publishes the news, is a columnist, or photojournalist. (Journalist does not include: graphic artist, bookkeeper, sales person, proofreader, layout person, social media specialist, technology support or broadcast journalist.)
Reimbursement preferences:
Reimbursement preference is based on work hours, employment status, and number of journalists employed.
To ensure that funding is available to the widest number of publications, payments for journalists begin with the first five journalism staff, then six through 10 and so on as funding lasts.
Definition of journalist employment
Full time employee or 1099 Independent Contract labor = 32 hours per week or greater
Full time equivalent employee = two or more employees or contract labor, who work at least 40 hours per week combined..
Independent Contractors (Stringer) = 1099 Contract workers, paid equal to or greater than $10K annually by the qualifying newsroom.
NOTE: The schedule for funding each year is to fully fund item “1.” then fully fund item “2. a.”, then item “2. b.” and so forth until all funding is exhausted.
- 15% for printing - $3,000,000 - $3,500,000
First priority is to provide a $8,000 flat annual reimbursement per newspaper publication, who print their product at least every two-weeks, with a verified print bill. (The estimated printed publications number is under 400.)
- 85% for reporters - $16,500,000 +
Provide an annual reimbursement to print and digital news publishers of $2K - $12K per reporter, including full and part time employees and independent contractors.
Funds to be allocated as follows by proof of employment through tax filings.
- $20,000 each journalist for the first five full time/full time equivalent employee
- $6,000 each journalist for the six through 10 full time/full time equivalent employees
- $2,000 for each of the first five Independent Contractors
- $5,000 for 11th- 15th Full time/full time equivalent employees
- $5,000 for 16th- 20th Full time/full time equivalent employees
3. Cap payments to any one outlet at $250,000
Respectfully submitted by the board of directors,
California Independent News Alliance:
Laura Rearwin Ward, Ojai Valley News
Reggie Ellis, The Sun Gazette
Gina Wilcox, Embarcadero Media
Greg Little, Mariposa Gazette
Manuel Munoz, Vida Newspaper
David Briggs, Point Reyes Light
Saskia Kennedy, Fullerton Observer
Email: info@cina.news
CINA: BRIEF OF AMICUS CURIAE - Google Lawsuit
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
EMMERICH NEWSPAPERS, ET AL., Plaintiffs, v.
ALPHABET INC., ET AL., Defendants.
Case No. 1:23-cv-03677 (Judge Amit P. Mehta)
INTEREST OF AMICUS CURIAE
The California Independent News Alliance (CINA) is a non-profit alliance representing over 100 locally-owned, independent news outlets throughout California. CINA was formed to advocate for the business and editorial interests of these independent publishers, who are currently facing an "existential threat" due to the anticompetitive practices of tech monopolies. As the stewards of local reporting in their respective communities, CINA members have a direct stake in this litigation, which seeks to address the systemic destruction of the news industry’s economic foundation.
SUMMARY OF ARGUMENT
Google has leveraged its monopoly power to precipitate what has been described as an “Extinction-Level Event” for local journalism. Over the past twenty years, approximately 3,500 newspapers—40% of the total—have disappeared, and the number of reporters has plummeted by 75%. This collapse is driven by a digital ecosystem where Google and other tech giants capture 85% of local advertising revenue, leaving local publishers with insufficient resources to sustain high-quality reporting. Furthermore, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents a "body blow" that extracts value from local news without compensation, effectively killing the "click-through" traffic that publishers rely on for survival. Judicial intervention is necessary to prevent the total loss of local accountability and the rise of "news deserts" across the nation.
ARGUMENT
I. Google’s Monopoly Power has Devastated the Economic Viability of Local News.
- Revenue Siphoning: The primary driver of the collapse in local news is the shift of advertising dollars to Google and Meta, which now control 85% of the local advertising market.
- Gatekeeper Control: Google’s dominance in search allows it to act as a gatekeeper, extracting and repackaging news content so that users rarely leave Google’s platform—a phenomenon that results in "zero clicks" for the original publishers.
- Failed Legislative Remedies: Efforts to address this crisis through California legislation (SB 1327 and AB 886) were undermined by a "hastily cobbled together" deal that allows Google to pay a "paltry" contribution while maintaining its monopoly grip.
II. The Loss of Local News Inflicts Tangible Harm on Communities.
- Financial Impact: Communities with less local news suffer from lower bond ratings, higher financing costs, and higher taxes.
- Government Accountability: A lack of local reporting is directly linked to increased government corruption, waste, and corporate misconduct.
- Civic Erosion: The disappearance of local news correlates with higher levels of citizen loneliness, lower voting rates, and a significant drop in local civic knowledge.
- Polarization: In the absence of local reporting, nationalized and polarized social media content fills the vacuum, leading to increased political division.
III. Generative AI is a Compounding "Body Blow" to the News Industry.
- The Death of the Click-Through: AI search assistants provide summaries instead of links, which "grievously wounds" the referral traffic that news outlets need to convert users into revenue.
- Content Misappropriation: AI companies "hoover up" content created by paid human journalists to train their models without providing compensation to the original publishers.
- Misinformation Scarcity: Without local reporters to serve as watchdogs, AI-generated "pink slime" sites—misleading partisan outlets designed to look like local news—can more easily spread deepfakes and misinformation.
IV. Independent Publishers Face Unique Risks from Monopoly Control.
- Vulnerability of Small Outlets: While some major publishers have secured licensing deals with AI companies, thousands of small and independent media outlets—like those in CINA—have been left out, further widening the power imbalance.
- Ownership Concentration: The trend toward concentration of power in a few "modern day American oligarchs" in Silicon Valley is profoundly dangerous for a free press.
CONCLUSION
The survival of the "Fourth Estate" in California and across the country depends on holding Google accountable for its anticompetitive conduct. The decline of local news is not an inevitable market shift but a direct result of monopoly power that undermines democratic accountability and community health. CINA respectfully requests that the Court grant the relief sought by Plaintiffs to restore a fair and competitive marketplace for journalism.
Respectfully submitted Feb. 16, 2026
The Board of Directors California Independent News Alliance (CINA)
Join CINA and Make a Difference
Welcome to California Independent News Alliance (CINA)
We are a volunteer organization dedicated to improving our community through service projects and outreach programs. Our members come from all walks of life and are united in their desire to make a positive impact in the world. Whether you're interested in volunteering your time or making a donation, there are many ways to get involved with California Independent News Alliance (CINA).
