A lifeline for local journalism: LA County approves motion in support of community news

On Tuesday, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion directing the county’s public advertising dollars and key ad opportunities to local and ethnic news outlets, marking a major win for hyperlocal newsrooms as layoffs continue impacting the industry. 

“Today the county took a meaningful step toward making sure public information actually reaches the people it is meant for," said Arturo Carmona, president of the media policy nonprofit Latino Media Collaborative, publisher of CALÓ News.

The motion, introduced by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and co-sponsored by Supervisor Janice Hahn, aims to create a countywide framework to strengthen the use of local, ethnic, community and hyperlocal media in county advertising and public outreach. 

The motion calls for a countywide framework to strengthen the role of diverse media in county communications, improve transparency in advertising expenditures and expand access to county contracts. 

Matt Tinoco, founder and chief executive officer of LA Public Press, said that by providing transparency in advertising expenditures and expanding access to their ad contracts, the county is intentionally helping many local newsrooms. 

“As we think about looking ahead for how we are going to sustain journalism and journalistic institutions, it's not going to look like how journalism was in the 20th century; it's going to look a little bit different, particularly on the business side,” Tinoco said. “In the past, news agencies were sustained almost entirely by commercial advertising, but for example, LA Public Press, we're organized as a nonprofit, so the bulk of our revenue is actually coming from charitable contributions, not advertising.” 

He said the effect of where advertising has gone has moved mostly towards technology platforms, which is a major reason why local newsrooms have been struggling.  

“The fact that the County of L.A. is one of the largest advertising buyers means there's a mutual interest in terms of making sure that there are local publishers who are well-resourced,” he said. “This motion is the very first important step to take when it comes to helping the county's significant advertising budget be effectively reinvested in local news entities that are publishing in L.A. County.” 

This is one of the last motions Solis will introduce. She will soon leave for the state capitol to represent California's 38th Congressional District. 

She told CALÓ News it was important for the county to take a closer look at how they distribute public information and advertising dollars in order for local news outlets to have a meaningful opportunity to compete for county business.  

“Local and ethnic media are often the primary source of news and public information for communities that larger news organizations do not adequately reach,” she said. “They report in the languages residents speak, cover the neighborhoods they know and bring attention to issues that might otherwise go unreported.” 

Regina Wilson, executive director of California Black Media, said advertising can sometimes act as the financial lifeblood for newsrooms, generating the critical revenue needed to pay journalists and sustain community-driven reporting. 

“Information is where progress begins. When we know better, we can do better,” Wilson said. “For too long, local and ethnic media have been overlooked in public advertising decisions, despite their critical role in reaching California’s diverse communities. This motion is an important first step toward understanding where public dollars are going, identifying who is being left out and making informed decisions that ensure public information reaches the communities it is intended to serve.”

Last month, E.W. Scripps Co. — which owns dozens of broadcast news stations across the U.S. — laid off 431 employees nationwide, primarily targeting behind-the-scenes traditional newscast production and engineering. The same day the motion passed, the Tribune reported that layoffs had hit KSBY, a San Luis Obispo television news station owned by Scripps.

NBC News also recently cut about 50 positions and dissolved its dedicated editorial teams covering Black, Latino, Asian American and LGBTQ+ communities amid its corporate split from MS NOW, formerly MSNBC. 

“Our sector is under unprecedented threat by the federal government, but also by the very business model that has sustained us for decades. Across California, more than 12,000 journalists have vanished since 2002,” Carmona said. “We have a lot of work to do.” 

Solis said the motion drew inspiration from New York City's approach to community media advertising. After a 2013 study found that 82% of city advertising went to mainstream publications and just 18% to community media, New York established a goal of directing at least 50% of its advertising spending to ethnic and community media. 

Under the motion, county departments will report back within 120 days on four areas of work: the feasibility of establishing a countywide framework of advertising budgets; identifying philanthropic and academic partners to support an independent assessment of county advertising and marketing expenditures and engaging the county's local and community media organizations to inform the county's recommendations.

Overall, Hanhn said the effort aims to make county communications more inclusive and strengthen partnerships with the media organizations that already serve diverse communities and are trusted. 

“ More of our advertising dollars should be going to our local news organizations because these are our residents' most trusted source of news,” she said. “All of the local reporters are the ones who hold us, the people in power in government, accountable.”