Shrinking ad revenue and AI-driven content scraping are pressuring local publishers. Danielle Coffey urges lawmakers to pass AB 2222 to help newsrooms retain journalists. The debate intensifies as the bill advances.
California publishers facing declining advertising revenue and reduced search traffic are under mounting financial strain, according to News/Media Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey. In a recent San Francisco Chronicle op-ed, Coffey urged state lawmakers to pass Assembly Bill 2222, emphasizing that the legislation could provide critical support for local newsrooms struggling to retain and employ journalists.
Coffey argued that the rise of AI systems scraping and reselling news content has further intensified the challenges for publishers. She stated that these pressures, combined with shrinking ad dollars and lower search visibility, threaten the sustainability of local journalism across California. Coffey believes that AB 2222 would help publishers afford to keep local journalists on staff, which she sees as essential for maintaining robust news coverage in communities statewide.
As Assembly Bill 2222 moves through the legislative process in Sacramento, Coffey’s commentary adds a prominent industry perspective to the ongoing debate. Previous coverage by E&P; has highlighted the bill’s potential impact, but Coffey’s public advocacy brings renewed attention to the urgency of legislative action. She maintains that if California wants to preserve local journalism, lawmakers must act to support the publishers who employ local reporters.
