D.C. Council Examines Proposal for Local News Voucher Program

Two D.C. Council members have introduced a bill that would provide grant funding to local news outlets based on a voucher system.

Council members Brianne Nadeau and Janeese Lewis George introduced the Local News Funding Act on Monday. The bill aims to provide $11.5 million annually to support news outlets in the D.C. area.

The funds would be distributed through a voucher system, allowing residents to choose which news outlets receive the most funding. Each resident would receive news coupons for different outlets, and funds would be issued quarterly based on the number of coupons an outlet receives. To be eligible for a grant, organizations must receive at least 250 coupons, and outlets that have local content behind a paywall would not be eligible.

An independent seven-member community journalism board would oversee the program. Outlets wishing to qualify for a grant would need to register with the board and provide information about their owners and whether they are for-profit organizations.

Local TV stations would not be eligible for funding under this bill, as the district already provides grants to stations covering the District of Columbia.

While some states like California and New Jersey have allocated public money to support local news through tax programs, no other U.S. territory has a law in place to provide voucher grants for local news outlets.

This bill comes at a time when the journalism industry is facing layoffs and financial challenges. The Washington City Paper discontinued its print edition last year, and The Washington Post recently offered buyouts to employees to prevent layoffs.