California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Wednesday to strengthen local journalism, establishing a new funding mechanism to help qualifying local news organizations hire and retain journalists working in California.
Assembly Bill 2222, by Assemblymember Christopher Ward (D-San Diego) and Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), creates refundable tax credits beginning in 2027 for qualifying local news organizations based on their employment of qualifying journalists. The credit is designed to support both existing newsroom jobs and new journalism positions.
"While President Trump continues to attack the free press, California is supporting independent journalism," Newsom said. "By signing this bill, we are signaling the profound role journalists play to cover essential issues like local schools, city halls, courts, public safety agencies, businesses, and neighborhoods. A free press isn't supposed to make government comfortable. It's supposed to make government accountable."
The law supports full-time and part-time journalism jobs at qualifying organizations and provides additional support for new positions, encouraging newsrooms to add reporting capacity. It applies across local digital, broadcast and print news organizations that meet certain requirements.
Qualifying organizations must maintain editorial standards, including publicly displaying an error-correction and clarification policy. Organizations controlled by political organizations or social-welfare entities are excluded from eligibility. The tax credit applies to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, and before January 1, 2032.
Newsom signed the legislation in his office surrounded by members of the Capitol Press Corps, and then took questions from the reporters who cover his administration.
The signing comes as media access at the White House has become restricted. President Trump recently barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House after criticizing their coverage. A federal judge subsequently ordered the administration to temporarily restore their credentials, and the news organizations are continuing to challenge the ban in federal court.