ANNAPOLIS — Maryland lawmakers are concerned that many counties across the state have only a few news outlets and how that could impact communities getting vital local coverage.
“That’s where you’re connecting the most — at that local level,” said Sen. Jason Gallion, R-Cecil and Harford. “Just like with local government, they’re the ones closest to the citizens.”
As newsrooms in Maryland like others across the country, struggle financially and compete with social media, more communities have less local coverage, lawmakers and experts said. They said that comes at a price, including a disconnect from communities and a lack of reliable information sources.
To help address some of those concerns, Sen. Jim Rosapepe, D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel, introduced the “Local Newspapers for Maryland Communities Act of 2026,’’ which would mandate increased advertising revenue from the state to local publications.
“It’s designed to help preserve and enhance local journalism in Maryland,” he said. “This is one vehicle to try to strengthen local journalism.”
Rosapepe said he’s confident the legislature will pass the bill and a similar version in the House, sponsored by Del. Linda Foley, D-Montgomery.
‘’It’s being taken very seriously,’’ Rosapepe said. “People want to know what’s going on in their local community. That’s what journalists do. That’s what local newspapers used to do.”
The University of Maryland Local News Ecosystem Study in 2024 found that 39% of local publications in the state weren’t confident they could continue operating in two years without increased revenue. The study found that most of the publications were small with a staff of five or fewer people.
Daniel Trielli, an assistant professor of media and democracy at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, said having so few news outlets could hurt the public because there could be less accountability for local officials and businesses.
“This is a big problem that has great impacts on the way we live, on democracy and the services that we consume locally,” said Trielli.
According to Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism’s 2025 research, 13 of Maryland’s 23 counties have only one or two local news outlets. Northwestern found that Maryland is one of 10 states where every county has one or more local news sources.
Trielli said while Maryland fares better than many states in maintaining its local news media, its efforts are unsustainable. He said as people increasingly rely on AI for information, the problem will get worse.
“We still have a robust ecosystem surviving rather than thriving,” Trielli said. “We still have a lot of local news organizations in Maryland that are doing great work, but they are in trouble and they need our help.”
Several senators vouch for their local media and want those outlets available to their constituents.
Sen. Johnny Mautz, R-Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot and Wicomico, called local journalism a “unifier.”
“It brings everybody together,” said Mautz, who likened local news to a “fourth branch of our government.”
“A free press, an available press and an active press is critical to our society. It always has been,” he said. “I wouldn’t tell people to buy things they don’t want to buy, but I always stand by my local news outlets … As much as people can support the local news, the more the local news can give back to them.’’
Gallion said he misses hyperlocal stories from one of his area papers, The Aegis, which was bought by the Baltimore Sun in 1986, according to the Sun’s website. Gallion said shifts from more intimate, small-community coverage have changed the local paper.
“Prior to that, there was a lot more local interaction,” he said.
Gallion, a longtime volunteer firefighter, said he appreciated how the paper reported on community topics, including stories about first responders.
“I can remember at our awards banquets — 20, 30 years ago — there was somebody there from The Aegis taking pictures and you’d get a nice article out of it,” he said. “They’d list out who won the awards … Stuff like that is what you kind of miss out on.”
Trielli said local news outlets should be more intentional about producing content the public wants. He said he hopes the legislature will pass Rosapepe’s bill and help support the restoration of Maryland’s local media.
“It should be part of a full agenda about how to support local news in Maryland,” Trielli said. “Local news is a plus for society. It is a plus for the voters. It is a plus for the taxpayers, so we as residents in this state have to support it one way or another … It’s not wasting money. It’s not spending money. It’s investing money into a better society.”