By Mary Feusner

Washington State Journal

Journalists and news organizations across Washington are pleading with lawmakers to set aside money to support local newspapers and broadcasters.

“Journalism is the work that our democracy relies on,” Ellen Hiatt, executive director of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, said.

Senate Bill 5400 would create the “Washington Local News Sustainability Program,” providing annual grants to help employ journalists and strengthen civic coverage in underserved communities.

Funds for the program would come from a 1.22% surcharge on the annual gross income of social media and search engine companies doing business in Washington. The tax would be collected quarterly, with a cap of $6 million per company each year.

The surcharge, which would go into effect January 2026, is expected to collect $24.2 million for the 2025-27 biennium. The amount is estimated to double during the 2027-29 biennium when it will be collected for a full two years.

During a public hearing on March 18, opponents argued that social media companies and search engines should not be responsible for solving the financial problems of local journalism, said Rose Feliciano, executive director of Technet for Washington and the Northwest.

“The struggle facing news industries predates social media. First radio, then television and now the internet have changed people’s habits, which has had an impact on traditional news publishing,” Feliciano stated.

However, Robert McClure, board member for the Washington Coalition for Open Government, testified this is a case of “market failure.” He said news still has value to society, but the support system has disappeared.

According to a study by the Washington League of Women Voters, the state has lost more than 27 of the 140 newspapers that existed just 20 years ago, said Dee Anne Finken, a volunteer with the League of Women Voters of Washington and retired journalist. Newsrooms that remain have seen staffing reductions of more than 50%. The staff decline means less local coverage and fewer news stories.

“Currently, there are news deserts in so many places in our state,” said former Sen. Karen Kaiser, D-Des Moines. “We cannot have a healthy democracy without an informed public. We need this kind of information flow.”

Without informed voters, discussions that challenge and expand ideas cannot happen. This leads to a decline in civic engagement, lower voter turnout and harms small community relationships, supporters say.

The Washington State Journal is a nonprofit news website operated by the WNPA Foundation. To learn more, go to www.wastatejournal.org.