Bruce Putterman, a West Hartford resident and CEO and publisher of the Connecticut Mirror, said in his testimony, ‘Hyperlocal news sites throughout Connecticut depend on the passion and work ethic of a single person burning the midnight oil for little to no pay to make ends meet. We need a little help.’

By Viktoria Sundqvist, CTNewsJunkie.com 

Editors and publishers of several independent news outlets in Connecticut have submitted testimony in favor of a bill that would require executive branch state agencies to buy a certain percentage of print or digital advertising from in-state news publishers.

Senate Bill 1230, An Act Concerning the Purchase of Print and Digital Advertising By the State, is one of several bills proposed by state Rep. Kate Farrar, D-West Hartford, that could impact Connecticut’s local news landscape. It is her third attempt to get this bill through the legislature, having previously proposed it in both the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions.

“Local newspapers and local journalists are an integral part of our community as they hold us accountable as public officials and inform our citizens about important issues,” Farrar said in a statement. “The state’s ongoing loss of local journalism threatens our civic and economic health.  Not only does civic engagement decline when local journalism disappears, but there are local job losses as well.”

Click here to read the rest of the article on CTNewsJunkie.com.

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