NNA joins growing national coalition urging California Governor to sign AB 2222

Sep 21, 2026

NNA Member Alert
Contact: Lisa McGraw, lisa@nna.org

The National Newspaper Association has joined a growing chorus of newspaper and journalism organizations from across the country urging California Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign Assembly Bill 2222, the Community Newsroom Employment and Workforce Sustainability Act, or Community NEWS Act.

AB 2222 would establish refundable employment tax credits for qualifying local news organizations to help them retain and hire journalists. The legislation has passed the California Legislature and is now awaiting action by Newsom.

Under the legislation, qualifying news organizations would receive a $20,000 credit for each of their first five full-time journalists, with additional credits available for other qualifying journalists and new journalism positions.

NNA believes the significance of AB 2222 extends well beyond California.

“Community newspapers across America are facing the same fundamental challenge — how to continue putting reporters on the ground in the communities they serve as the traditional economic model for local journalism continues to change,” NNA Chair Jeremy Gulban, CEO, CherryRoad Media of Parsippany, New Jersey, said. “AB 2222 recognizes that preserving local journalism means preserving local journalism jobs.”

NNA joins more than 130 local, state and national organizations that have called on Newsom to sign the legislation. The coalition includes state press associations, independent and nonprofit publishers, journalism organizations, labor organizations and national media groups.

The broad support reflects increasing concern about the loss of local reporting capacity across the country and the consequences for communities when fewer journalists are available to cover local government, schools, businesses and civic institutions.

Importantly, AB 2222 is structured to make employment credits available to qualifying local news organizations without regard to their editorial viewpoints. The legislation is designed to support the employment of journalists rather than particular types of news coverage or content.

“For NNA, this is about strengthening the infrastructure of local journalism,” Public Policy Chair and NNA Past Chair Brett Wesner, president, Wesner Publications of Cordell, Oklahoma, said. “Strong communities need reporters asking questions, attending meetings and providing residents with reliable information about what is happening close to home. California has an opportunity to demonstrate how states can help preserve that essential work.”

NNA encourages Gov. Newsom to sign AB 2222 and joins newspaper voices across America in supporting efforts that help ensure communities continue to have access to strong, independent local journalism.