Atlanta Local Journalism Initiative
We are proud to be media, proud to be part of such a talented and motivated team that is dedicated to making an impact on the communities that we serve. Whether it's radio, film, or television; scripted or unscripted; documentary or news coverage, this is a field unlike any other, where you get to inform, enlighten, and inspire so many.
Media is not just a profession it’s a mission, a powerful platform that allows us to amplify voices that may otherwise go unheard, to challenge the status quo, and to celebrate the beauty and diversity of the world in which we live.
In the realm of radio, our voices reach out across the airwaves, sparking conversations. Through film, we transport audiences to distant worlds, elicit laughter, tears, and reflection, all within the confines of a darkened theater or the comfort of their own homes. Television allows us to capture life's moments and provide a window to the world for millions of viewers.
We are the eyes and ears of the public and with this power comes great responsibility. We must always strive for accuracy, fairness, and truth. We must remain vigilant against misinformation and bias. We must never forget the impact our words and images will have in shaping the perceptions of society. We are proud to be part of this thing called “The Media” and we embrace our role with dedication and integrity.
Proposed Media Legislation
118th Congress
S.1094 - Journalism Competition and Preservation Act of 2023-2024
Sponsor: Senator Amy Klobuchar, [D-MN]
Committee: Senate Judiciary
Status: Introduced
This bill would authorize digital journalism providers to collectively negotiate with large online platforms over the terms and conditions of the platforms’ use of content. The bill would ensure that providers do not violate federal antitrust laws when they negotiate with or withhold content from large online platforms. S. 673 also would prohibit platforms from retaliating against providers for participating in collective negotiations or arbitration authorized under the bill. CBO estimates that enacting S.673 would not affect direct spending or revenues. CBO has not estimated the discretionary costs of implementing the bill. The bill would impose intergovernmental and private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). As of 08/09/2023 the CBO has estimated that enacting S. 1094 would increase revenues and the consequent direct spending would be insignificant in amounts over the 2023-2033 period.
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H.R.4857 - Journalist Protection Act
Sponsor: Representative Andre Carson, [D-IN-7]
Committee: House - Foreign Affairs; Judiciary
Status: Introduced
To require an investigation into all non-natural deaths of journalists in a foreign nation, who are United States citizens or working on behalf of a United States-based news media entity, and for other purposes. Relevant Federal agencies, shall develop a multi-agency investigative team protocol that includes defined responsibilities for each Federal agency involved, to—
(1) identify non-natural deaths of covered journalists in foreign countries;
(2) conduct prompt and effective, investigations of all such deaths, using the full investigative and forensic capabilities of the United States; and
(3) aggressively prosecute perpetrators who may be subject to criminal liability under International or Federal law.
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S.2457 the PRESS Act
Sponsor: Senator Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Committee: Senate Judiciary
Status: Passed House
Protect Reporters from Excessive State Suppression Act or the PRESS Act. This bill prohibits the federal government from compelling journalists and providers of telecommunications services (e.g., phone and internet companies) to disclose certain protected information, except in limited circumstances such as to prevent terrorism or imminent violence.
Specifically, the bill protects from disclosure any information identifying a source, as well as any records, contents of a communication, documents, or information obtained or created by journalists in the course of their work. Further, the bill protects specified third parties, such as telecommunications carriers or social media companies, from being compelled to provide testimony or any document consisting of a record, information, or other communication that relates to a business transaction between the third party and a journalist.
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S.2434 - Local Journalism Sustainability Act
Sponsor: Senator Maria Cantwell [D-WA]
Committee: Senate Finance
Status: Introduced
This bill allows individual taxpayers a tax credit up to $250 in any taxable year for subscriptions to one or more local newspapers for the taxpayer's personal use. It also allows a local news journalist employer a payroll credit for wages paid to local news journalists.
The bill allows certain small businesses a tax credit for amounts paid for advertising in a local newspaper or through a broadcast of a radio or television station serving a local community.
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S.1667 - Social Media Privacy Protection and Consumer Rights Act of 2021
Sponsor: Senator Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]
Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Status: Introduced
This bill requires online platform operators to inform a user, prior to a user creating an account or otherwise using the platform, that the user's personal data produced during online behavior will be collected and used by the operator and third parties. The operator must provide a user the option to specify privacy preferences, and an operator may deny certain services or complete access to a user if the user's privacy elections create inoperability in the platform.
The operator must (1) offer a user a copy of the personal data of the user that the operator has processed, free of charge, and in an electronic format; and (2) notify a user within 72 hours of becoming aware that the user's data has been transmitted in violation of the security platform.
A violation of the bill's privacy requirements shall be considered an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) may enforce this bill against common carriers regulated by the Federal Communications Commission under the Communications Act of 1934 and nonprofit organizations. Currently, common carriers regulated under that Act are exempt from the FTC's enforcement authority, and nonprofit organizations are subject to FTC enforcement only if they provide substantial economic benefit to their for-profit members.
A state may bring a civil action in federal court regarding such violations.
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H.R.4871 - Expanding Broadcast Ownership Opportunities Act of 2021
Sponsor: Representative G. K. Butterfield [D-NC-1]
Committees: House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce
Status: Introduced
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take certain actions to increase diversity of ownership in the broadcasting industry and establishes a related tax incentive.
Specifically, the bill requires the FCC to report to Congress regarding:
(1) recommendations for increasing the total number of broadcast stations that are owned or controlled by members of minority groups or women,
(2) the total number of broadcast stations that are owned or controlled by members of minority groups or women, and
(3) whether there is a nexus between diversity of ownership or control of broadcast stations and the diversity of the viewpoints expressed on the stations.
In addition, the bill allows companies engaged in the qualifying sale of a broadcast station to receive favorable tax treatment by electing nonrecognition of the gain or loss resulting from the sale. To qualify for this treatment, the sale must result in or preserve ownership and control of a broadcast station by socially disadvantaged individuals.
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S.3405 - Low Power Protection Act
Sponsor: Senator Roy Blunt [R-MO]
Committees: Senate -Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Status: Law
This bill provides for a one-year period during which eligible low-power television stations may apply to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for Class A licenses. To be eligible, a station must serve a media market with a limited number of television households, broadcast a minimum number of hours, and meet other requirements.
A low-power station with a Class A license obtains certain broadcast rights, including primary status with respect to its allocation of the electromagnetic spectrum. (Typically, low-power stations have secondary status and may be displaced from their spectrum in the event the FCC reallocates it to a primary user.)
Richard Joule, Staff
- Beyond Addressable Advertising . . .
Despite some of the earlier declarations it seems quite obvious that ATSC 3.0 is not actually about providing 4K television content, because honestly there really isn’t any. Labeled as "NextGen TV," it appears to be a push to modify linear TV in a way which would effectively result in yet another customer data collection platform.
It's already baked into just about every other media based technology -and now it seems OTA station owners want a piece of the action. The new market is data. In this case data gathered on audience members viewing habits, location, gender, age, interests, income level and social status all of which can be leveraged to target campaigns.
A campaign may not necessarily be monetary but aimed at the selling of social ideas. This type of technology dominates every aspect of digital interaction. Over-the-air TV is one of the last technologies left untapped. We would love to say this tech is simply about "addressable advertising" and brand promotion to better serve customers but data is the new currency and it’s the viewers that are actually the product up for sale. The market for this type of intelligence is vast and ripe for abuse.
The sale of behavioral data along with, demographic, psychographic and geographic information can be aggregated and analyzed specifically to enable organizations to gain insight into group propensities, predispositions and susceptibilities to specific campaigns, whether products, politics or influence over social thought and interaction.
The actual ATSC 3.0 benefit to viewers is negligible at best, while posing a very real privacy risk and other concerns. Join us in urging congress to proceed with extreme caution and mitigate the risk by putting every possible safeguard in place.
The Media Bubble . . .
One of the biggest expectations the public has of journalist is that they are (will be) a proxy for the people. They will ask the questions and share the concerns of the viewers to which they report. This becomes nearly impossible given the lack of diversity in newsrooms, in terms of both demographic diversity and a diversity of perspectives. Demographic diversity refers to the composition of newsroom staff in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, age, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Journalists from diverse backgrounds often bring a deeper understanding of cultural nuances and sensitivities to their reporting.
The absence of representation has had major implications for audience engagement and the perceived relevance of the role of news in their lives. When the news media continually fails to address the concerns and interests of significant portions of the population, it impacts the broader perception of the free press as a vital institution of democracy. This is why it is becoming more and more important to differentiate between local and national news. Having a national news outlet speak through a locally owned affiliate does not accomplish that end. Physically being in the same city does not always guarantee a connection.
So, why do journalists believe they are performing better than the statistics suggest? One reason may be their training; journalists operate by standard media practices and procedures and assess news quality using criteria that differ from that of the general public. They often evaluate media coverage from a professional perspective, focusing on industry based protocols. There is also media economics, at the end of the day most are newsroom employees. As a matter of corporate competitiveness, they may prioritize stories thought to draw the largest viewership or the pressure of being the first to break a story or garner academy prestige. This of course means little to an audience focused on personal impact issues and in large part may account for the growing disconnect between the perceived value of what's being reported.
It’s important to be aware that people are not simply looking for information, they are looking help. The journalistic community may be unaware that the populations’ perspective of reporting is to uncover helpful information that will make a positive impact in their lives. And with that, they feel let down.
In a recent Pew research survey, about 65 percent of the journalists surveyed thought that the media does a good job covering important issues and reporting accurately. However, among the American public only 35 percent thinks so, that is a 30-point perception gap.
The Netflix Archetype . . .
The future of news delivery has significant potential that continues to evolve with advancements in technology and changing consumer preferences. There are intriguing possibilities on the horizon that could transform how we receive and consume news.
One of the most intriguing prospects could be the emergence of news delivery models that draw inspiration from the success of streaming services like Netflix. Community news and information delivery could incorporate the same key features that have made streaming platforms so immensely popular.
Imagine a world where news is available in a fashion similar to the way streaming services operate. Viewers would gain access to a wide range of local community content, including in-depth reporting, geographically exclusive interviews, as well as local events and resources. Much like binge-watching a TV series on Netflix, viewers could deep dive into issues that interest them most, exploring subjects at their own pace. This on-demand approach to news delivery has the potential to cater to individual preferences and schedules. It eliminates the need to adhere to traditional broadcast schedules or the distractions, re-directions and mis-information associated with online searches. Instead, viewers can explore a consolidated source of information to find the issues that matter most, much like choosing a movie or TV show on any streaming platform.
The concept of local independent original news programming could begin to gain prominence over national corporately owned local affiliates. Streaming platforms have shown that producing original specialized content can be a compelling draw for viewers. With the proper infrastructure in place it would become more practical to invest in creating exclusive news content, such as investigative reports, in-depth features, and documentaries, to entice viewers.
Personalization is another element that could shape the future of news delivery. Streaming services excel at recommending content based on a viewer's past preferences and selections. Local platforms could tailor news recommendations to a viewer interests, ensuring that they receive more nuanced information on issues that resonate with them.
Streaming and on demand media has now become commonplace in consumer culture, making it quite practical to envision a Netflix like model for geographically based news content. Digital technologies continue to create new opportunities for innovative approaches to news consumption. Adopting that technology to cater to the specific preferences of local audiences should be the next logical step in evolution.
These white papers are available for download in .pdf form. This research across various fields of study is made available under creative commons licenses, allowing access and distribution of the findings freely, as long as proper attribution is given to the original authors and the content is not used for commercial purposes without permission.
CLICK IMAGE TO DOWNLOAD ASSET
We honor the courageous journalists who made the ultimate sacrifice while pursuing the truth, reporting on local and global upheaval from the frontlines. Their unwavering dedication to uncovering facts and shining a light on the darkest corners of the world has inspired us all. They remind us that journalism is not just a profession but a mission, essential for the preservation of democracy and the safeguarding of our shared humanity.
In relentless pursuit of Truth