102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2021 and 2022
SB0134

 

Introduced 2/9/2021, by Sen. Steve Stadelman

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Local Journalism Task Force Act. Establishes the Local Journalism Task Force, consisting of one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member of the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, one member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, one member of the Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the Governor, and one representative of each of the following entities: the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University; the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield; the School of Journalism at Southern Illinois University Carbondale; the Illinois Press Association; the Illinois Broadcasters Association; the Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association; the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council; and the Illinois Municipal League. Directs the Task Force to study communities underserved by local journalism and review all aspects of journalism. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide administrative support. Provides that the Task Force shall report its findings and recommendations of legislation to the Governor and General Assembly.


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A BILL FOR

 

SB0134LRB102 15340 JLS 20697 b

1    AN ACT concerning journalism.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Local
5Journalism Task Force Act.
 
6    Section 5. Establishment. The Local Journalism Task Force
7is established to:
8        (1) conduct a comprehensive, nonbinding study relative
9    to communities underserved by local journalism in
10    Illinois; and
11        (2) review all aspects of local journalism including,
12    but not limited to, the adequacy of press coverage of
13    communities, the ratio of residents to media outlets, the
14    history of local news in Illinois, print and digital
15    business models for media outlets, the impact of social
16    media on local news, strategies to improve local news
17    access, and public policy solutions to improve the
18    sustainability of local press business models and private
19    and nonprofit solutions.
 
20    Section 10. Membership. The Task Force shall consist of
21the following 13 members: one member of the House of
22Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of

 

 

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1Representatives; one member of the House of Representatives
2appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
3Representatives; one member of the Senate appointed by the
4President of the Senate; one member of the Senate appointed by
5the Minority Leader of the Senate; one member appointed by the
6Governor; one representative of the Medill School of
7Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at
8Northwestern University; one representative of the Public
9Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois at
10Springfield; one representative of the School of Journalism at
11Southern Illinois University Carbondale; one representative of
12the Illinois Press Association; one representative of the
13Illinois Broadcasters Association; one representative of the
14Illinois Legislative Correspondents Association; one
15representative of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council;
16and one representative of the Illinois Municipal League.
17Appointments shall be made no later than 30 days following the
18effective date of this Act.
 
19    Section 15. Meetings. The Task Force shall meet a minimum
20of 5 times to review, study, and analyze existing literature
21as well as quantitative and qualitative data on the status of
22journalism in the State of Illinois.
 
23    Section 20. Support. The Department of Commerce and
24Economic Opportunity shall provide administrative and other

 

 

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1support to the Task Force.
 
2    Section 25. Findings and recommendations. The Task Force
3shall submit its findings, along with its recommendations for
4legislation, to the Governor and the General Assembly no later
5than one year after the effective date of this Act.
 
6    Section 30. Repeal. This Act is repealed 2 years after the
7effective date of this Act.