By Jaylen Beaner-Walker
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
During the Maryland General Assembly on Jan. 30, 2005, Maryland House Delegates Joe Vogel and Linda Foley proposed House Bill 891, a bill that would support local newsrooms in Maryland.
The bill allows local newsrooms to claim a credit amount up to “25,000 of the wages paid to each Full-time local newsroom employee for the first taxable year that the local newsroom claims the credit for that local newsroom employee”
The culture surrounding local newsrooms has shifted with journalists turning their attention to independent forms of news rather than traditional organizations.
“I’ve seen more people kind of go independent, so there’s more trends of journalists starting their newsletters or trying to strike out on their own,” said Elia Powers, journalism professor at Towson University.
The public’s attention to local news outlets has been on a slow decline, with a downward trend being observed throughout the U.S. According to data from the Pew Research Center, the percentage of American adults who say that they have followed local news closely has decreased from 37% to 22%.
Local newsrooms have experienced cost cuts and layoffs due to stagnating consumer attention and ownership control.
“Owners who prioritize profit over quality journalism have bled many newsrooms dry,” said Marcus Dieterle, managing editor of the Baltimore Fishbowl. “In the process, they have shrunk staff sizes, withheld liveable wages and benefits, imposed their own agendas on news coverage, and eroded the trust of readers.”
With news becoming free and more easily accessible on social media, consumers have been less likely to spend money subscribing to news outlets, creating financial setbacks for some local newsrooms.
The Baltimore Sun is one of the many local newsrooms that have had to cut sections of their newsrooms due to low circulation and demand. In October 2024, The Baltimore Sun cut their entire feature department, transferring writers to their news department.
“It’s hard to compete with social media and news curation sites that provide stories for free,” said Jennifer Atwater, journalism professor at Towson University. “Readers don’t need to subscribe if they can just read the stories for free on social media.”
In light of this challenging period for local journalism, there is optimism that the introduction and passing of HB 891 will set a new precedent for legislation to support local newsrooms.
HB 891 could offer local newsrooms the support needed to hire more journalists and to retain employees.
“Sustainable growth of newsrooms should be a key part of this legislation,” said Marcus Dieterle, Managing Editor of the Baltimore Fishbowl.
Atwater and Dieterle agreed that the House bill would offer great support for local newsrooms to hire and retain more journalists, maintaining growth rather than stagnancy.
* Headline created and AP error check conducted by Microsoft 365 Copilot