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★ Add your name to the growing list of supporters of local newspapers. ★

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WHAT IS HAPPENING TO COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS?

☞ Assembly Bill 5, which took effect January 1, 2020, requires most “independent contractors” to be reclassified as employees.

☞ In recognition of the critical role newspapers play in informing our citizenry, the Legislature granted newspapers a one-year exemption to AB 5 for newspaper carriers.

☞ AB 323, authored by Assemblymember Blanca E. Rubio, will extend California newspapers’ exemption from AB 5 for two additional years in order to help them stabilize operations in the post-COVID environment, and prioritize newspaper outlets for state agency public outreach advertisements.

☞ If forced to comply with AB 5, many community newspapers, including local, ethnic, urban, suburban and metro papers, will be unable to sustain operations. They will close their doors, leaving many communities with no local news source.

☞ For those that continue to exist, news operations will be forced to make deep cuts to both print and digital community coverage and offerings in order to survive.

IF NEWSPAPERS ARE NOT EXEMPTED FROM AB 5, READERS WILL LOSE.

☞ Limited home delivery.

☞ Fewer local news reporters and less hometown coverage.

☞ Loss of sports, comics, games and investigative reporting.

☞ Days of week eliminated from print.

☞ End of the ethnic newspapers that inform California’s diverse population.

☞ Less access to information that matters to our community.

☞ The voice of a free media, a cherished institution enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

For more information on how you can help contact Brittney Barsotti at 916-288-6006 or brittney@cnpa.com.

What Others Are Saying

“Americans often take our free media for granted, assuming it will always be there to serve us — and it has been, especially during the pandemic. Newsrooms are working around-the-clock to provide readers with the latest information on how and where the virus is spreading and what health experts are recommending to protect the public. But their economic crisis reminds us that just as any other Main Street company, newspapers must also keep the lights on and the doors open.”

– Tracy Hernandez | Founding Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Business Federation

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May 20

San Gabriel Valley Tribune: To help rebuild local economies, save local newspapers

Op-Ed
The toll from the COVID-19 pandemic is excruciating to witness. In addition to the tragic cases of illness and loss of life, local businesses are experiencing a brutal impact on normal business operations. Most companies were unprepared for a situation of this magnitude, and by some estimates, up to 50 percent of small businesses could fail.
Read More

3

May 20

The Press-Enterprise: Newspapers critical to Inland Empire recovery efforts

Op-Ed
By Paul Granillo The recent job report for the Inland Empire was a harbinger of what’s in our near future....
Read More

26

Apr 20

Orange County Register: Newspapers are essential to economic recovery and business success

Op-Ed
Six months ago, I issued a call to action for businesses: to continue to exercise innovative thinking and leadership, stay engaged in the community, focus on growth, and address the troubling issues that challenge Orange County and the region.
Read More

10

Apr 20

San Diego Union Tribune: Commentary: Californians turn to newspapers for coronavirus coverage. Here’s how California can help them.

Op-Ed
The events of the last month have dramatically altered the trajectory of most Americans, as the coronavirus pandemic stressed our health-care resources, forced changes to familiar patterns of daily life, and tested our ability to adapt to new and challenging circumstances.
Read More
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For more information on how you can help contact Brittney Barsotti at 916-288-6006 or brittney@cnpa.com.