Today, the News Media Alliance released a White Paper, “How Google Abuses Its Position as a Market Dominant Platform to Strong-Arm News Publishers and Hurt Journalism.” The Alliance has submitted the White Paper to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the House Antitrust Subcommittee for incorporation into their investigation of Google’s anticompetitive behavior.
Today, a House version of the “Local News and Emergency Information Act of 2020” was introduced by Chairman David Cicilline (D-RI) and Ranking Member F. James Sensenbrenner (WI-05) that offers legislative text around a Small Business Administration affiliation waiver that would allow more news publishers to apply for SBA loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.
The News Media Alliance has elected Antoinette “Toni” Bush, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Government Affairs at News Corp, as its Chair of the Board of Directors for the 2020-2021 term.
Today, the bipartisan “Local News and Emergency Information Act” was introduced in the Senate by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Boozman (R-AR), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), that offers legislative text around a Small Business Administration affiliation waiver for news publishers.
The Alliance is pleased to report that the latest stimulus package, introduced by U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, includes support for local news in the form of an affiliation waiver allowing more news publishers to apply for Small Business Administration loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.
Today a bipartisan letter was sent from U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Boozman (R-ARK) to their Senate colleagues urging support for expanding U.S. Small Business Administration loan access to struggling local newspapers.
Today, four national media organizations representing thousands of local newspapers and local broadcast media outlets – the News Media Alliance, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), National Newspaper Association (NNA) and America’s Newspapers – jointly called on Congress to provide critical support to local news media in its next stimulus bill designed to provide relief to businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The News Media Alliance today filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of Oracle in the Google v. Oracle (docket no. 18-956) case concerning Google’s unauthorized copying of parts of Oracle’s computer code when developing applications for the Android operating system. The Alliance brief rebuts Google’s argument that its use of Oracle’s code was justified under the four-part fair use test used by U.S. courts, drawing comparisons to Google’s widespread and unauthorized use of news media content and its effect on the news media industry.
The News Media Alliance has named the (Fort Collins) Coloradoan, The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) and the Chicago Tribune as the recipients of the 2019 John P. Murray Award for Excellence in Audience Development.
A national memorial is important for paying tribute to journalists who perished not only while reporting on the front lines of battle, but those whose lives were lost while simply fulfilling their duty to deliver the news. That was the message delivered at a December 4, 2019, Congressional hearing by advocates for legislation to establish a Fallen Journalists Memorial in Washington, DC.
