Support the Journalism Competition & Preservation Act

I want to use this post to acknowledge and thank Colorado's Rep. Ken Buck and Rhode Island's Rep. David Cicilline for sponsoring the Journalism Competition & Preservation Act. This piece of legislation is long overdue, and it is important and appreciated that the industry has bipartisan support for action that supports the free market and the Fourth Estate, while also standing against monopolistic and anti-competitive practices of a largely unrestrained, unregulated, and unaccountable tech industry.

“One of the bedrock values of our country is a free press, but we have seen thousands of news organizations crushed by the monopolistic power of Big Tech,” Ranking Member Buck said. “This bipartisan bill is an important start to remedying the results of Google, Facebook, and other’s anticompetitive conduct toward local news outlets, conservative media, and other news organizations.”

“A strong, diverse, free press is critical for any successful democracy. Access to trustworthy local journalism helps inform the public, hold powerful people accountable, and root out corruption,” Chairman Cicilline, who has introduced the bill in each of the last two Congresses, said. “This bill will give hardworking local reporters and publishers the helping hand they need right now, so they can continue to do their important work.”

News companies must have a free market to compete; tech companies who use & profit from print media must pay for it.