ANNAPOLIS — As Maryland’s legislative session winds down, a bill in the General Assembly intended to support local newspapers across the state appears unlikely to pass.
The Local Newspapers for Maryland Communities Act would have required the state government to spend 50 percent of its print and digital advertising budget on local outlets in the state. The bill does not favor any particular news outlets. Instead it stipulates that organizations must produce original local content and have at least one reporter in or around Maryland.
Daniel Trielli an assistant professor of media and democracy at the University of Maryland said that type of support has been done in many communities.
“It might seem like a weird mechanism to support local news” he said “but the reality is that this is a very traditional way that societies and communities have found throughout history and throughout many countries to support local news.”
Maryland counties each have at least one newspaper according to a 2025 report by the Northwestern University Local News Initiative. Nine Maryland counties though only have one news outlet covering their respective regions.
Trielli said the financial outlook for local newspapers across the state and country is dire. A 2024 report from the University of Maryland at College Park found nearly 40 percent of local publications in the state were not confident they could continue operating in two years without increased revenue.
“Often it is the case that local news is surviving by very little day by day” he said. “Just a little boost in their finances can make a real big difference in the survival of these news organizations.”
Similar policies have been tried at the municipal level in major cities. New York City allocated more than 70 million dollars over the first five years of its program.
In Southern Maryland the counties of Calvert Charles and St. Mary’s each maintain at least one local newspaper that residents rely on for coverage of county government public safety school board decisions and community events. The Southern Maryland Chronicle operates as a digital newspaper dedicated to Southern Maryland serving St. Mary’s Calvert Charles Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties. It stands as one example of the independent reporting that keeps residents connected to issues that directly affect daily life in the region.
Without the proposed advertising revenue shift local publications here and statewide risk continued financial strain that could limit their capacity to maintain newsrooms and produce in-depth stories. Larger national platforms often overlook the granular details that define life in places like La Plata or Leonardtown while local outlets fill that gap by attending meetings interviewing officials and reporting on everything from road projects to emergency responses.
The legislation offered a budget-neutral approach to redirect taxpayer-funded advertising dollars back into Maryland communities rather than allowing them to flow primarily to out-of-state digital giants. Proponents argued this model would strengthen public oversight and community ties without creating new spending obligations.
The Northwestern University report underscores the vulnerability noting that counties with only one news outlet already operate with thin margins. In Southern Maryland where population growth continues to drive demand for reliable information the loss of even one outlet could create coverage gaps that hinder informed civic participation.
Trielli emphasized the practical difference a modest revenue increase could make for outlets operating on tight budgets. Local news provides the foundational accountability that larger media cannot replicate at the county level and its survival directly supports stronger neighborhoods and more responsive government.
As lawmakers wrap up business the bill’s apparent failure highlights the ongoing challenges facing community journalism. Residents in Calvert Charles and St. Mary’s counties may see little immediate change but the broader conversation about sustaining local reporting remains active with advocates hoping for renewed efforts in future sessions.
This outcome arrives amid national trends showing declining advertising revenue for print and digital local news. Maryland officials had viewed the measure as a targeted way to preserve the ecosystem of community-focused outlets that inform voters hold power accountable and foster regional identity in areas far from Baltimore or Washington.
Local coverage ensures transparency on issues like tax proposals school funding and public health updates that shape everyday decisions. The Chronicle and similar organizations continue delivering that service but the missed opportunity for state advertising support underscores the precarious balance many outlets navigate daily.
