Rebuild Local News is a coalition of smaller media newspapers and newsrooms seeking to advocate to save and expand local news. Rebuild Local News identifies issues that can arise from lack of local news in communities and the potential consequences of that. Rebuild Local News has identified potential tax credits at the federal and state level to assist local news operations and provide guidance on best practices. In 2023, Rebuild Local News’ first year as an independent organization, the group raised almost $1 million in funding.

History

Rebuild Local News began in 2020 as part of the GroundTruth Project and Report for America. ¹ In 2023, Rebuild Local News became an independent nonprofit coalition. ² The Coalition consists of at least 35 members representing more than 3,000 locally owned and nonprofit news organizations in the U.S. ³

Positions

Rebuild Local News states that since 2004, 2,100 newspapers have closed and 1,800 communities that had a local newspaper now have none. ⁴ It claims that communities with less local news have lower voting rates, fewer contested political races, less voter knowledge about local candidates, and more political polarization. ⁵

Rebuild Local News states the vacuum left by fewer local news outlets has created a “pink slime” of websites pretending to be objective but backed by political dark money from the left and right. ⁶ To combat these ideological outlets, Rebuild Local News backs tax credits to local news organizations provided the group employs at least one full time local reporter residing within the geographic area, receives less than half its funding from a 527 organization, receives less than half its money from a 501(c)(4), carries media liability insurance, and discloses its ownership. ⁷

A key part of Rebuild Local News’ plan seeks new tax incentives for small to medium-sized newsrooms including a tax refund for local news digital subscriptions, payroll tax credits for hiring and retaining local reporters, and a tax credit for small businesses to advertise in local news outlets. ⁸ Rebuild Local News estimates such tax breaks would cost $3.5 billion. ⁹

While legislation has been introduced by a Republican and Democrat at the federal level, Rebuild Local News President Steven Waldman stated an unlikely reality to have federal tax credit legislation passed by Congress and the organization is focusing on the state level. ¹⁰ In recent years similar efforts have passed or gained traction in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. ¹¹ Local acts that have been passed or under consideration include in the cities of Chicago; Meriden, Connecticut; New York City; and San Francisco. ¹²

Finances

As of January 2023, Rebuild Local News states it has raised around $1 million from various contributors. ¹³ Many of the financial supporters of Rebuild Local News include the Ford Foundation, Knight Foundation, Microsoft, Yellow Chair Foundation, the Lenfest Institute, American Journalism Project, MacArthur Foundation, Argosy Foundation, and Charles H. Revson Foundation. ¹⁴ In 2023, the MacArthur Foundation provided a one-year $100,000 grant. ¹⁵ The Ford Foundation provided a $190,000 grant to Rebuild Local News in 2023. ¹⁶

Leadership

Steven Waldman founded Rebuild Local News in 2020 as part of the GroundTruth Project with his other venture, Report for America. ¹⁷ In 2023, Rebuild Local News became an independent nonprofit coalition. ¹⁸

From 2017 to 2023, Waldman was president of Report for America and continues to be on the board. ¹⁹ Prior to advocacy work in journalism, Waldman was a journalist covering national politics for Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, and Washington Monthly. ²⁰

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2. “About Rebuild Local News.” Rebuild Local News. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://rebuild-local-news.fundjournalism.org/donations/.
3. “Coalition Members.” Rebuild Local News. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/mission/supporters/.
4. “The Crisis: Research on Local News.” Rebuild Local News.” Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/research-on-local-news/.
5. “The Crisis: Research on Local News.” Rebuild Local News.” Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/research-on-local-news/.
6. “A Race Against Time.” Rebuild Local News. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/local-news-crisis/.
7. Waldman, Steven and Anna Brugman. “Safeguarding Against Pink Slime.” Rebuild Local News. February 24, 2023. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/safeguarding-against-pink-slime/.
8. Salam, Erum. “US Local News Outlets Need Tax Breaks to Help Save Democracy, Says Advocate.” The Guardian. February 21, 2023. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/feb/21/us-local-news-outlets-tax-breaks-rebuild-initiative.
9. ^[1] Salam, Erum. “US Local News Outlets Need Tax Breaks to Help Save Democracy, Says Advocate.” The Guardian. February 21, 2023. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/feb/21/us-local-news-outlets-tax-breaks-rebuild-initiative
10. Salam, Erum. “US Local News Outlets Need Tax Breaks to Help Save Democracy, Says Advocate.” The Guardian. February 21, 2023. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/feb/21/us-local-news-outlets-tax-breaks-rebuild-initiative.
11. “Solutions: State Activity Tracker.” Rebuild Local News. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/solutions/state-activity-tracker/.
12. “Solutions: State Activity Tracker.” Rebuild Local News. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/solutions/state-activity-tracker/.
13. Fischer, Sara. “Dozens of Journalism Groups Join Coalition to Save Local news.” Axios. January 24, 2023. https://www.axios.com/2023/01/24/local-news-coalition-journalism-groups.
14. “Coalition: Supporters.” Rebuild Local News. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/mission/supporters/.
15. “Rebuild Local News.” MacArthur Foundation. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/rebuild-local-news-10116019/.
16. “Rebuild Local News.” Ford Foundation. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?search=rebuild+local+news.
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18. “About Rebuild Local News.” Rebuild Local News. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://rebuild-local-news.fundjournalism.org/donations/.
19. “Steven Waldman.” LinkedIn. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevendwaldman/
20. “Seven Waldman.” Rebuild Local News. Accessed August 15, 2023. https://www.rebuildlocalnews.org/team/steven-waldman/.