Even amid setbacks, public funding for local news is expanding at the state level

The dawn of Donald Trump’s second term signaled a shift in efforts to bolster local news with government assistance.

For several years, Congress had considered measures to provide tax credits that would help news organizations and to force Google and Facebook to pay for the journalism they repurpose. Despite some bipartisan support, especially for tax credits, those measures fell short, with no prospect of success under Trump and his MAGA allies.

As a result, attention has turned from Washington to state-led initiatives, which have proven to be a mixed bag.

“Our estimate is that newsrooms will get about $74 million in 2026 from state governments as a result of public policy,” said Steven Waldman, president of Rebuild Local News, an advocacy organization. That represents an increase over 2025, he told me, and about a dozen states are poised to make a serious effort on the policy front in the months ahead.