A SAG-AFTRA-supported bill in California that would incentivize newsrooms to hire and retain journalists has received Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature today. The bill will offer a refundable employment tax credit of $20,000 for each of the first five full-time journalists and $15,000 for each additional full-time journalist, in addition to $7,500 for part-time journalists and a stackable $15,000 credit for new hires.
SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said, “Gov. Newsom’s signing of the Community NEWS Act is a huge win for the quality journalism needed to build a healthy, informed society. Thank you Gov. Newsom, Assemblymember Chris Ward and AB 2222’s allies in the California Legislature for making the policy changes necessary to ensure continued access to the news and information that keeps our democracy thriving.”
SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said, “Access to reliable news and quality journalism has been increasingly under attack in recent years, and Gov. Newsom’s signing of AB 2222 is a substantial victory for the future of the journalism profession and Californians’ ability to know what’s happening in their communities and their state. The Community NEWS Act not only means more jobs for local journalists, it means a more informed public and a stronger democracy. Thank you, Assemblymember Chris Ward, for shepherding this bill across the finish line.”
The Community Newsroom Employment and Workforce Sustainability Act, AB 2222, has been called the nation’s largest investment in local news and has earned praise from SAG-AFTRA members, including SAG-AFTRA Vice President, Broadcasters, Bob Butler; SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local President Joely Fisher; SAG-AFTRA National Board member Lou Slocum; and SAG-AFTRA San Francisco Local Board member broadcaster Jeff Knox, at hearings and press conferences addressing the need for community-centered journalism.
AB 2222’s passage comes over a year after Congress approved the Rescissions Act of 2025, which eliminated $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a long‑standing source of grants for local PBS and NPR affiliates. These cuts have prompted staffing reductions and programming changes at stations across the country, leaving many outlets, including those in California, to explore alternative funding strategies.
According to the 2026 Local Journalist Index, local journalist employment has fallen more than 80% since 2002.
The Community NEWS Act’s supporters have argued that tax credits could help slow the decline of local news coverage by making it more economically viable for outlets of all sizes to employ professional reporters and storytellers — the backbone of quality local journalism. Now that it has passed, AB 2222 will join other state actions, such as those in Vermont, Illinois, New York and New Mexico, that have incentivised support for local news.
