wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 5400 > Original Bill
The legislature finds and declares the following:
A free and diverse fourth estate was critical in the founding of our democracy and continues to be the lifeblood for a functioning democracy.
Every day, journalism plays an essential role in Washington and in local communities. The ability of local news organizations to continue to provide the public with critical information about their communities, including creating content that is used by others, will preserve and ensure the sustainability of local and diverse news outlets.
Communities without newspapers lose touch with government, business, education, and neighbors. They operate without journalists working to keep them informed, uncover truth, expose corruption, and share common goals and experiences.
Over the past 10 years, newspaper advertising has decreased 66 percent, and newsroom staff have declined 44 percent.
Ethnic media has long been a distinctive genre of journalism and communications, informing, engaging, and advocating on behalf of communities underserved by both the for-profit and not-for-profit general market media. It plays a unique role in upholding the fourth estate in our democracy by facilitating cross-racial and cross-ethnic communications to facilitate social integration, promote civic engagement, and address inequalities among all underserved communities.
Given the important role of ethnic media, it is critical to advance state policy that ensures their publishers continue to employ journalists able to create content. An excellent example is the historic preamble, "We Wish to Plead Our Own Cause," a document penned by the African American journalist and abolitionist Samuel Cornish in 1827. It marked a significant milestone in the history of the Black press as it highlighted the urgent need for African Americans to have their own platform to voice their grievances, advocate for their rights, and challenge racial inequality. This call to action spurred the establishment of numerous Black-owned newspapers and publications, solidifying the role of the Black press as a powerful tool for empowerment and social change, and laid the groundwork in our country for other ethnic media to plead their own cause.
Quality local journalism is key to sustaining civic society, strengthening communal ties, and providing information at a deeper level that national outlets cannot match.
73 percent of United States adults surveyed said they have confidence in their local newspaper.
The Washington local news journalism corps program is established within the department. The director shall make grants to eligible applicants, in accordance with this section.
Grants made under this section shall be used to support the employment of news journalists covering civic affairs in underserved communities to deepen community understanding of complex community issues and policies.
Applicants eligible for grants under this chapter must meet all of the following requirements:
Be an eligible news journalism provider; and
Employ at least three news journalists in Washington state per quarter in the four calendar quarters prior to receiving a grant from the department.
If an eligible news journalism provider fails to meet eligibility requirements in subsection (3)(b) of this section solely because they only employ two news journalists working in Washington state, they may qualify for a grant if they have employed at least two news journalists in Washington state per quarter in the eight calendar quarters prior to receiving a grant from the department.
The dollar amount of each grant awarded to an applicant must be in an amount proportional to the hours worked by journalists employed by the applicant as reported by the applicant to the employment security department.
An application for a grant under this chapter must be submitted by the applicant in such form and in accordance with requirements as determined by the director.
An applicant selected for funding under this chapter shall provide the department information on the news coverage supported by this program. The information shall be provided in progress and final reports as requested by the department, but no less frequently than once per biennium.
The department may consult with civic affairs leaders and local news industry leaders in developing this program.
The department, the employment security department, and the department of revenue may share data as needed to implement sections 2 and 5 of this act.
The department may adopt rules to implement sections 2 and 5 of this act.
For the purposes of this act, the following definitions apply:
"Eligible broadcaster" means a person that meets all of the following criteria:
The person holds or operates under a license issued by the federal communications commission under subchapter III (commencing with section 301), chapter 5 of Title 47, United States Code;
The person engages professionals to create, edit, and produce original content concerning local or regional matters of public interest through activities, including conducting interviews, observing current events, analyzing documents and other information, or fact checking through multiple firsthand or secondhand news sources;
The person updates 25 percent of their content on at least a weekly basis; and
The person uses an editorial process for error correction and clarification, including a transparent process for reporting errors or complaints to the station.
"Eligible news journalism provider" means an eligible publisher or eligible broadcaster that discloses its ownership to the public.
"Eligible publisher" means a person that publishes a qualifying publication.
"News journalist" means a natural person who meets both of the following criteria:
The person is employed for an average of at least 30 hours per week during a calendar quarter by the eligible news journalism provider; and
The person is responsible for gathering, developing, preparing, directing the recording of, producing, collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, designing, presenting, or publishing original news or information that concerns local or regional matters of public interest.
"Qualifying publication" means either:
A legal newspaper as defined in RCW 65.16.020; or
An internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service that meets all of the following criteria:
The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service does not primarily display, provide, or offer content generated, created, produced, or owned by an eligible broadcaster;
The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service provides information to an audience in the state;
The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service performs a public information function comparable to that traditionally served by newspapers and other periodical news publications;
The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service engages professionals to create, edit, and produce original content concerning current topics of local or regional public interest through activities, including conducting interviews, observing current events, analyzing documents and other information, or fact checking through multiple firsthand or secondhand news sources;
The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service updates 25 percent of its content with original content they create on at least a weekly basis;
The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service has an editorial process for error correction and clarification, including a transparent process for reporting errors or complaints to the publication;
The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service meets any of the following criteria:
(A) The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service had an international standard serial number assigned to an affiliated periodical; or
(B) The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service is owned or controlled by an organization exempt from federal income taxation pursuant to Title 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code;
viii. The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service provides at least 25 percent of its editorial content consisting of information about current topics of local or regional public interest; and
ix. The internet website, online or mobile application, or other digital service is not controlled by, or wholly or partially owned by, an entity that meets any of the following criteria:
(A) The entity is a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power, as those terms are defined in 50 U.S.C. Sec. 1801;
(B) The entity is designated as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1189;
(C) The entity is a terrorist organization, as defined in 8 U.S.C. Sec. 1182;
(D) The entity is designated as a specially designated global terrorist organization under federal Executive Order No. 13224;
(E) The entity is an affiliate of an entity described in (b)(ix)(A) through (D) of this subsection; or
(F) The entity has been convicted of violating, or attempting to violate, 18 U.S.C. Secs. 2331, 2332b, or 2339A.
(1) The workforce education investment account is created in the state treasury. All revenues from the workforce investment surcharge created in RCW 82.04.299 and those revenues as specified under RCW 82.04.290(2)(c) must be deposited directly into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation.
(1)(a) Beginning with business activities occurring on or after April 1, 2020, in addition to the taxes imposed under RCW 82.04.290(2), a workforce education investment surcharge is imposed on select advanced computing businesses. The surcharge is equal to the gross income of the business subject to the tax under RCW 82.04.290(2), multiplied by the rate of 1.22 percent.
Sections 1 through 5 of this act are each added to chapter 43.330 RCW and codified with the subchapter heading of "SUPPORTING LOCAL NEWS JOURNALISM."