Thank you to the organizations and individuals supporting the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), also known as the Safe Harbor bill, which would allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with the tech platforms for fair compensation for use of their content. With your support, we hope to get this bill passed and for news publishers to get the compensation they deserve.
To be added to this list, click here or scroll down to add yourself or your organization.
View our JCPA letters of support here.
For more information on the bill, visit the JCPA – Safe Harbor Resource Center.
Supporters:
Organizations / Publications
The Advocate (La.)
The Advocate Messenger (Ky.)
Alabama Press Association
Alliance for Audited Media
Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington
American Society of News Editors (ASNE)
America’s Newspapers
Arizona Newspapers Association
Arkansas Press Association
Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAM)
Association of American Publishers (AAP)
The Augusta Chronicle (Ga.)
Austin American-Statesman (Tex.)
The Authors Guild
Bay Area News Group (Ca.)
The Bay Area Reporter (Ca.)
The Bend Bulletin (Or.)
The Blue Mountain Eagle (Or.)
Bowling Green Daily News (Ky.)
Cagle Cartoons, Inc.
California News Publishers Association
CherryRoad Media
Chicago Tribune
Cleveland Plain Dealer (Oh.)
Colorado Press Association
Connecticut Daily Newspaper Association
Conservative Publishers Coalition
Copyright Alliance
The Dallas Morning News
The Day (Conn.)
The Detroit News (Mich.)
Deseret News
Dodge County (Wisc.) Pioneer
Estes Park Trail Gazette (Colo.)
Florida Press Association
Fourth Estate
Georgia Press Association
Illinois Press Association
Hoosier State Press Association
Iowa Newspaper Association
Kansas Press Association
Kentucky Press Association
Lake Mills Leader (Wisc.)
Louisiana Press Association
The Manchester Cricket (Mass.)
Massachusetts Newspaper Publishers Association
MDDC Press Association
Michigan Press Association
Minnesota Newspaper Association
Mississippi Press Association
Missouri Press Association
Montana Newspaper Association
MyTownNEO (Oh.)
National Association of Broadcasters
National Newspaper Association
National Press Photographers Association
National Review
Nebraska Press Association
Nevada Press Association
New England Newspaper & Press Association
New Jersey Press Association
New Mexico Press Association
New York Press Association
New York News Publishers Association
NewsGuard
News Media Canada
North Carolina Press Association
North Dakota Newspaper Association
Ohio News Media Association
Oklahoma Press Association
Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
Outbrain
Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association
PEN America
Pennsylvania News Media Association
The Post and Courier (So. Car.)
The Post-Standard / Syracuse.com
Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)
South Carolina Press Association
South Dakota Newspaper Association
Star-Herald (Neb.)
Southern California News Group
The Star-Ledger
Star Tribune
The Summerland Advocate-Messenger (Neb.)
Tampa Bay Times
Tennessee Press Association
Texas Press Association
Tri-City Herald (Wash.)
Triblive.com / Trib Total Media (Penn.)
True Dakotan
Utah Press Association
Vermont Press Association
Virginia Press Association
VoxPopuli Corp.
The Virginian-Pilot (Va.)
Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
West Virginia Press Association
Wisconsin Newspaper Association
Wyoming Press Association
Individuals
- Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
- Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)
- Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
- Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
- Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO)
- Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
- Rep. Salud O. Carbajal (D-CA)
- Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA)
- Rep. John Carter (R-TX)
- Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL)
- Jason Chaffetz – former Republican congressman for Utah’s third congressional district
- Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI)
- Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
- Doug Collins – former Republican congressman and Chairman of House Judiciary Committee (R-GA)
- Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN)
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)
- Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN)
- Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT)
- Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN)
- Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)
- Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL)
- Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA)
- Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)
- Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-NY)
- Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA)
- Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL)
- Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
- Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
- Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)
- Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
- Augustine Fou – Ad Fraud Researcher, Fou Analytics
- Shela S. Fretwell – individual
- Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
- Rep. Mark E. Green (R-TN)
- Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
- Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI)
- George Hall – individual
- Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO)
- Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA)
- Amy James – individual
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY)
- Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD)
- Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA)
- Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-NY)
- Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-LA)
- Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
- Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
- Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA)
- Rep. John Larson (D-CT)
- Joanne Lipman – former Editor-in-Chief of USA TODAY and Chief Content Officer of Gannett
- Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
- Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC)
- Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA)
- Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY)
- Katherine Miller – Publisher, The News Courier (Athens, Ala.)
- Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA)
- Rep. Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN)
- Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
- Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO)
- Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT)
- Rep. Steven M. Palazzo (R-MS)
- Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
- Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA)
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
- Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-AL)
- Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC)
- Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
- Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA)
- Donna Shalala – former Democratic congresswoman (D-FL)
- Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
- Peggy Scott – Assistant Publisher, Leader Publications
- Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL)
- Dan Shea – former Publisher of The Advocate, current Chairman of the Georges Media Group
- Patrick Soon-Shiong – Executive Chairman, Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, Los Angeles Times en Español and other publications under the California Times
- Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN)
- Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN)
- Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL)
- Steve Stivers – former Republican congressman (R-OH)
- Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY)
- Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA)
- Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)
- Rep. Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI)
- Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)
- Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA)
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
- Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA)
- Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
- Catherine Zeilman – student
Quotes from Supporters:
"Millions of people around the United States access news and information from digital platforms every single day. The platforms rely on quality publishers to fill their feeds and search results to provide factual information and to stop the spread of dis-and-misinformation. To ensure a fair playing field, The Lenfest Institute for Journalism believes news publishers should be able to negotiate fairly with companies that depend on their journalism."
The Lenfest Institute for Journalism
“Facebook and Google love us for our local content. But they are not contributing to the cost of gathering our intensely local and interesting news, and publishers do not receive any compensation when our material travels out over these mega-giant networks. This bill would give newspapers the ability to work as an industry for fairness in the digital environment. We hope Congress will move quickly to pass the legislation.”
“News media have struggled for several years with the impact social media has had on the distribution of our content. While providing our members with the potential to reach more readers, the opacity surrounding the inner workings of major platforms means we are never able to truly maximize that potential. We are at a competitive disadvantage, beholden to the platforms and their rules. This bill will help us level the playing field.”
“The journalism industry has a tenuous relationship with major content platforms such as Google and Facebook. We need them to distribute our content but we are also beholden to the rules they set, with no ability to meaningfully negotiate policies or practices which will actually benefit our members. This bill is necessary to ensuring we control how our content is distributed; it therefore benefits not only AAN members but our readers.”
“While the proposed 'Journalism Competition and Preservation Act' will not solve all the challenges facing news organizations, Guild leadership believes it will give news content creators more control over the price of their content and enable them to wield more influence in terms of content access and distribution with news aggregators like Google and Facebook. This should give news outlets more latitude in building and maintaining robust newsrooms of experienced and talented journalists, supporting jobs and ensuring Americans continued access to the accurate, quality news and information necessary in a democratic society.”
“It is heartening to see bipartisan support for legislation responding to this crisis, and the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act offers an important opportunity for news outlets to negotiate a more equitable arrangement with the tech giants.”
“With print editions continuing to migrate to digital-only subscriptions, and consumers’ preference for content on-the-go, we need to build a media ecosystem that works for all parties involved. One where big tech can continue to flourish, but also one where media companies can increase data sharing, revenue, and monetization efforts. The key is for platforms to understand they need to work with publishers to create an engaging user experience and a strong business model. And the first step towards collaboration is through the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act.”
“Members of Congress are realizing the urgency and importance of this issue, especially for local news publishers. Communities will go unserved and uncovered if the current trajectory continues. News publishers need greater leverage in negotiations with the dominant intermediary platforms that distribute and monetize quality journalism with little return for those who produce it.”
“At the heart of this bill is helping newspapers survive amid shrinking circulations and massive layoffs. Google and Facebook now control the news kingdom. They’ve pitted themselves against newspapers in a David-and-Goliath battle in which newspapers don’t have a stone to throw much less a slingshot to put it in. The readers are the true losers as newsrooms empty out across this country. Google and Facebook aren’t just companies. They’re countries. We can’t allow them to bully newspapers out of business.”
“Without honest and trusted journalists reporting around the world and here at home, what is out of sight truly becomes out of mind — but we’re seeing more and more independent and local news outlets close as ‘fake news’ rises. It’s more important than ever that we protect the free press and establish an even playing field for negotiation with online platforms. Our bipartisan legislation will improve the quality and accessibility of reporting and ensure that journalists are able to continue their critical work.”
“This bipartisan legislation will even the playing field, strengthen competition, and give news outlets the tools they need to negotiate for equitable treatment with our nation’s largest online platforms. Local journalism plays a vital role in keeping communities informed and holding public officials accountable, and this bill will help newspapers continue those important efforts.”
“Government threatens the viability of trusted news sources through old and outdated restrictions on the ability of those sources to survive in an evolving media environment. We need to get government out of the way.”
“Local news faces an uphill battle. Papers are being bought up by hedge funds and the focus has had to shift from quality local content to profit maximization to save the news organizations we have left. In this digital world, where content is being shared for free on social media while the platform makes a profit, it’s only fair to let news organizations share in ad revenues.”
“The free press is a cornerstone of our democracy. Journalists keep the public informed, root out corruption, and hold the powerful accountable. This bill will provide a much-needed lifeline to local publishers who have been crushed by Google and Facebook. It’s about time we take a stand on this issue.”
“Community journalism holds a critical place in our democracy because it helps the American people understand and engage in civil society. Through our bipartisan legislation, we are opening the door for community newspapers to more fairly negotiate with large tech platforms that are operating in an increasingly anti-competitive space. This will help protect journalism, promote competition and allow communities to stay informed.”
“Our bill uses the free market as a solution, providing a path for local newspapers to more fairly negotiate the value of their content with large tech platforms. Community journalism and reliable local news hold a critical place in our democracy, and I’m proud to be among the first supporters of this much-needed legislation.”
“The bill before Congress comes at a make-or-break moment for U.S. news companies — but also for their readers and viewers. If the unchallenged grip of companies such as Facebook and Google persists, quality journalism probably cannot.”
“Some folks have advocated for direct government subsidies for news publishers. I personally don't believe that it's a good idea for the fourth estate to be on the government payroll. … I prefer a much less government-intensive solution: the Journalism Competition & Preservation Act, which wouldn't require the government to spend any tax dollars. The bill, with four Republican senators and three Democratic senators as co-sponsors, simply gives news publishers the ability to solve their own problems by giving them the right to work together to negotiate with Google and Facebook for a better deal for the use of their news content. … It is currently impossible for any individual publisher to stand up to the tech giants. Since Facebook and Google benefit disproportionately from free local news content, they should have to negotiate like any other company for that deal, and return more of the value back to the people who deliver it in the first place. News consumers will then have continued access to the full variety of media sources they prefer.”
“Local newspapers compete on an uneven field with internet giants. This bill would allow us to negotiate for more fairness.”
“News organizations have been at the beck and call of these behemoths, to no avail. As a longtime news executive, I have been in the room too many times to count with Google, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and others as they have lectured us on exactly what we need to do to save our business. Virtually always, it's to bend our news practices — at our own expense — to their latest algorithm or experimental venture. ... That’s why Congress must pass the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. It is in the interest of all of us who believe in a fair and unfettered press, no matter what your political affiliation, to ensure that the media survives financially. Let’s get to that essential place where the industry is secure and sustainable so that journalists can focus all of our attention and energy where it belongs: on our mission, as news professionals.”
“Many critics of the tech giants want antitrust enforcers to restrain them, or even break them up. But the companies’ stranglehold over digital-ad revenues could be addressed by relaxing antitrust laws for the media outlets that do business with them. Let them band together to bargain with the giants over ad rates and the like.”
“We commend Chair David Cicilline and Rep. Doug Collins on the introduction of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act. As our newspaper brethren have demonstrated, there are significant antitrust-related concerns for news publishers that directly affect the continued viability of local journalism.”
“In the marketplace of ideas, big tech is going behind the counter and taking the product off the shelf and walking out the door without paying for it.”
“Here’s why this patently unfair situation should concern you and your community: It now threatens the existence of some local newspapers, the source of news and information that underpins democracy and civic life itself. It’s long past time for Google and Facebook to do what newspapers and their subscribers do: Pay for the local news that benefits them so richly.”
“The American newspaper actually deserves more than a government handout. It deserves a fighting chance. That’s what needs to appear in the next stimulus bill.”
“If anything, the JCPA does not go far enough to liberalize coordination among newspaper publishers and other “news content creators” to benefit a healthy news ecosystem, although it would be a step in the right direction. … Allowing news outlets to capture a larger proportion of ad revenue would permit investment in quality reporting and investigation, with obvious consumer benefits and indeed, sorely needed social benefits in terms of democratic functioning.”