Oregon House Committee on Rules & Joint Committee on Ways and Means 900 Court St., NE Salem, OR 97301

Dear legislative leaders,

We ask for your support of House Bill 2605, an innovative bill that will provide support to sustain and revitalize local news and information in underserved and hard-to-reach communities such as rural, multilingual, non-English and ethnically specific populations.

The Problem

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• More than 50 percent of Oregon’s incorporated cities lack a local news source.
• More than a quarter of Oregon’s newspapers have closed.
• Two of Oregon’s rural counties are considered news deserts and 16 more have only one news organization that covers hundreds of miles.
• Many diverse communities across the state, such as non-English speakers, have little access to trustworthy news and information.

Why it Matters

Access to quality local news and trusted information impacts the civic health of our communities. A lack of local news leaves under-resourced rural and ethnic communities out of the vibrant dialogue needed to ensure a healthy democracy in Oregon. Without strong local news sources, community members have a harder time finding trustworthy information, and are less able to share their voices to shape the outcomes of our most important civic challenges.

Research shows why local journalism is so vital in Oregon:

Communities with trusted news organizations experience:

• Higher rates of voter participation
• Lower rates of corruption and nepotism
• Stronger feelings of community cohesiveness and belonging

Communities without trusted news organizations tend to experience:

• A decrease in voter participation
• A decrease in government accountability