State attorneys general are mobilizing to save local newspapers, which they see as essential.

Led by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a coalition of 16 GAs is urging US House and Senate budget officials to pass the Local Journalism Sustainability Act.

The LJSA would help stop a deadly spiral of layoffs and newspaper closings that accelerated during the pandemic. This would increase the retention and hiring of local journalists with temporary tax credits for small regional news outlets. It would also provide credits to subscribers and small businesses advertising locally.

“Local news is essential to the health of our states, our communities and our democracy,” the GA wrote in an October 14 letter.

Their timing is excellent. Congress is on the verge of finalizing a budget bill, in which the core of the LJSA, credits for preserving journalist jobs, has been included.

“The impetus was really obviously to support the bill and to think that the GAs had a certain perspective on the role of the media in our democracy that we thought was important to stress,” Ferguson told me.

Fifteen of the signatories were Democrats like Ferguson and one was a Republican, John Formella of New Hampshire.

Most are also part of multi-state antitrust cases to prevent Google and Facebook from abusing their dominant positions, which is another factor in the plight of newspapers. Ferguson is also suing Facebook for flouting state political advertising transparency laws.

With the letter, Ferguson extends Washington’s leadership on safeguarding local news. US Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., And US Representative Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Yakima Valley, were the original co-sponsors of the LJSA.

Newspapers are particularly popular with Ferguson, and not just because he’s a shrewd politician who should run for governor.

Ferguson grew up in a multi-newspaper household, with six siblings rushing to the sports section. His first job was to deliver the weekly Queen Anne News, followed by a stint in the Seattle Times.

Of course, I needed to know more about why Ferguson is joining the fight to save local journalism and what the stakes are. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

Question: Do you expect a political backlash from the approval of a Republican-sponsored bill?

A: I don’t worry about it. It does not matter.

Question: Do you have any specific concerns about journalism in Washington, especially outside of metro areas?

A: Speaking personally and as an attorney general, in the pre-COVID era, when I was traveling around the state, I regularly stumbled upon local newspapers. This is in part a reflection of the important role that the local media play as a unique source of information for the people of our state. Losing that would have real impacts on the information people receive. You can draw a straight line from that until we maintain our form of government and democracy.

Question: Have you seen changes in media abundance?

A: Oh yes. Just as you walk into these offices, there are more empty seats than there were a few years before and a few years ago. Seeing the impact COVID in particular has had on the media, the pressure on the media from all manner of threats is real and apparent, whether you’re in my job or just a Washingtonian looking for local news.

Question: The House’s judicial inquiry into dominant platforms identified damage to local journalism. But I haven’t seen that touched on in state antitrust cases; they were more about mergers and business practices and things like that. Will the damage of journalism be repaired through the business of state?

A: I always pay attention to the active stuff we have.

Question: OK, is it unreasonable to think that journalistic organizations that have been particularly affected, according to the federal investigation, will be part of the conversation at some point, perhaps when we come to consent decrees or more agreements? late ?

A: It is a reasonable prospect. I don’t think I can say much more than that, but I think it’s a perspective people will share.

Question: Historically, newspapers provided consumer protection services, and when we held individuals or institutions accountable, it sometimes fed into investigations by attorneys general. As we have decreased and we conduct fewer investigations, it seems more incumbent on the GA offices to do this accountability work. Is it correct?

A: This is an understatement. It is not uncommon for me to read the newspaper and call the head of my consumer protection division and say, “Have you seen this newspaper article? This is an investigative report on a company that may be breaking the rules, hey, we need to look at this. These calls led to important investigations and legal actions that we have had.

Having fewer resources for newspapers to do this type of reporting is ultimately a loss for people. These problems are not caused by the day, and it is more difficult for us and the people to know what is going on. This is a big problem for us. My civil rights team and my consumer protection team read newspapers religiously and we talk about articles in our weekly calls. Or it could be media from other sources, radio or television, but I would say it’s mostly newspapers.

Question: Cynics might think politicians would prefer to have less media, so they can speak directly to the public through the voter guide. What are your thoughts?

A: I see him more as a voter. Like right now, we have a lot of races going on, and I’ve read the Seattle Times on local races religiously – and I’m someone who knows these candidates pretty well! Sometimes there are races where I don’t really know them and getting this information from these independent sources of information is important for me as a voter, as a citizen to make an informed choice, which I don’t trust. not just what the candidate puts in their sometimes selfish campaign brochure.

Question: So Ann Davison or Nicole Thomas-Kennedy for the Seattle city attorney?

A: Ha ha, good try. My candidate lost in the primary.