Advocacy

February 18, 2026

Heightened awareness must be generated and action must be taken, in individual communities and all the way to the highest levels of leadership, to sustain local sources of journalism.

A call buzzed my phone while I was meeting with other newspaper associations from across the country: one of our association’s members needed to sell his paper and hasn’t been able to find a buyer. It hasn’t been profitable and he and his staff are near or past retirement age. I returned to the zoom meeting to hear other representatives of the industry struggle with how strongly we convey the precipice newspapers face. 

Do we paint the picture as dire as it feels — that without subscriptions and donations, your community’s paper may go away tomorrow?

Conflicting statistics show that while many people don’t subscribe to their local newspaper, if they knew it was going to close, they’d donate to it. Across the nation, the strongest level of trust in media is placed in local newspapers. But the fact that their revenue models have changed like the shifting sands of time isn’t fully understood.

I want to be clear: excellent journalism is going on in our communities across this state and our country. Vitally needed story telling, investigative work and and accountability journalism is happening every single day. And some newspapers are finding success in the traditional models of subscriptions and advertising revenue, interest spurred by solid reporting.

On the other hand, the state lost five newspapers last year alone. And too many are struggling to afford enough reporters to adequately cover their community.  In Washington State, the majority of newspapers have just one to three reporters. And in some cases that one reporter is also the owner, editor, and business manager.  

The situation for too many newspapers truly requires more than traditional business models. Newspapers will continue to close, impacted by a combination of factors: publishers are aging out; advertisers are shifting to digital outlets; search platforms and bots are scraping content without compensation; and there is a profound lack of awareness in communities that their newspaper’s loss may be imminent, and will leave a void which will be filled with misinformation and darkness where there should be the light of transparency.

Without their local reporters, who would consistently attend city council meetings and report on how tax dollars are being used? In Port Townsend, even one of the sitting city council members was unaware of the full scope of the city manager’s pay until the local newspaper investigated, interviewed, and made public records requests.

That’s why we need to step up as individual communities, and at the highest levels of leadership. It’s time to rethink the funding models that support journalism. And it's time to take action. Because newspapers are still the predominant source of that journalism across the state, it’s critical that the conversation includes their survival specifically.

There is a bill in the Senate Ways and Means Committee that appears to be stalled. It was proposed last year and never made it out of committee. Senate Bill 5400, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, has the potential to be a piece of the important funding puzzle. It would tax the largest of our tech giants to create a journalism fund, supporting both digital and print news media. 

To the original question asked in this piece’s opening: Do we paint the picture as dire as it feels? I say, yes. We do. The Senate Ways and Means Committee needs to pass this bill out of committee, and give the full legislature the opportunity to help us all keep journalism alive and well in Washington state.

February 10, 2026

⚠️UPDATE:

An amendment passed to remove Section 27 from SSB 6113, keeping in place the exemption for newspapers and others previously not taxed. Senator Curtis King offered the amendment to remove the section, and Senator Marcus Riccelli championed the amendment in the Democratic Caucus. 

“This would have I believe a very devastating effect on our economy in so many areas. So many business would be affected. So many nonprofits would be affected," Sen. King said on the Senate floor.

Senator Noel Frame also recommended it be removed, noting “Particularly our journalism industry is really struggling under so many pressures far beyond taxes that make it very hard for them to survive.”Many thanks to all who voted in favor, and to all of you who provided the crucial advocacy to make it happen.

⚠️ ACTION ALERT

Stop the Expansion of the Advertising Sales Tax

Section 26 of SB 6113 would expand Washington’s sales tax to all advertising if the state loses or settles its lawsuit with Comcast. An attempt by Sen. Mark Schoesler to remove this provision  (Section 26 of the bill) failed in a voice vote.

If this passes into law, it could result in:

    •    A potential ~10% cost increase on all advertising

    •    Harm to local newspapers, broadcasters, schools, nonprofits, clubs, and small businesses

    •    Washington becoming a national outlier by broadly taxing advertising services

Background: 

Comcast contends that last year's statute violates federal law because it does not apply the tax to all advertising services. SB 6113 anticipates a state loss in the suit which would cost the state nearly a half billion dollars. Section 26 of SB 6113 stipulates the requirement that if the state loses, or settles, any part of the lawsuit, "then the sales tax will be extended to all advertising rather than Comcast freeing themselves of the tax. This includes all of our advertising sold," explains Rowland Thompson, Allied Daily Newspapers lobbyist.This provision could permanently raise costs for the very businesses that rely on advertising to survive—at a time of rising expenses and tight margins.

Take action now: 

    •    Contact your legislators and the Governor and urge them to remove Section 26 from SB 6113.

    •    Attend Newspaper and Broadcast Day on February 19 to make your voice heard and speak directly with legislators as the session enters its final weeks. Register HERE. Your presence and voice are essential.

    •    Join a WNPA Task Force to address this issue, help shape messaging and an advocacy campaign. Contact [email protected].

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ellen Hiatt, WNPA Executive Director,  at (360) 474-4160, or [email protected].

February 5, 2026

SSB 5400, in hearing today in the Senate Ways and Means Committee, needs your support. The bill is revived from the 2025 legislature and would tax giant tech companies in support of local journalism. 

There is no question that news providers are grappling with sustainability using the traditional financial models that have for more than two centuries supported their work. While the causes can all be debated, what’s not in debate is whether or not the citizens of this state need access to factual, investigative journalism. We do. Now, more than ever. 

The Washington Newspaper Publishers Association is asking anyone who values  access to factual information, investigated and verified information in their communities, to contact their legislators in support of SSB 5400, and to weigh in as PRO with the Senate Ways and Means Committee, urging them to pass it out of committee.

This bill has the capacity to make a difference, especially in the smallest of newsrooms that are scattered across the state, in communities big and small. Without a local newspaper, there would be a vacuum of information. Without their local newspapers, communities on the whole would not know what their city council was doing, or how their school board was spending their money. Just recently in Port Townsend, a city council member said until the newspaper dug deep into the pay and benefits of their city manager that even he did not know the extent of the manager’s pay.

This bill has no fiscal impact to the state. It lays responsibility for nominal support of journalism at the feet of Big Tech, which has benefited directly from the work journalists do. 

The WNPA represents 73 community and regional newspapers across the state, from Forks to Colville. These communities need their newspapers. We urge you to help us advocate for the passage of SSB 5400.

Contact Your legislators!

Senate Ways and Means Committee

Contact Your Legislators: This link will identify your district and allow you to send a message to all of your Senators and Representatives.

January 15, 2026

As lawmakers prepare for the 2026 Washington state legislative session, several bill concepts are already circulating that could significantly affect open government, public access to records, and transparency. Most of these measures have not yet been formally introduced, but they are being closely monitored due to their potential impact—both positive and negative—on the public’s right to know.

The Washington Coalition for Open Government (WashCOG) and WNPA are tracking the following issues and sharing this early briefing to help journalists anticipate policy debates likely to emerge in the coming session.

HB 2244 

Public records exemptions

WashCOG is working directly with Rep. Mena on legislation intended to implement recommendations previously adopted by the Sunshine Committee but never acted upon by the Legislature. As currently envisioned, the bill would likely be limited to recommendations formally approved by the committee in 2025. While WashCOG ultimately supports legislative approval of the committee’s full body of past recommendations, this proposal is viewed as a meaningful starting point toward that goal.

HB 1055 

Enhancing access to public records

Would establish a study on the efficacy of an independent agency to assist individual with accessing public records.

HB 1337

Concerning the appointments of presidents of institutions of higher education

Establishes a process for institutions of higher education to appoint a president. Public notice must be provided for up to 4 candidates at least 4 days prior to a meeting where final decision will be made. The governing board must provide a forum on campus before the public meeting and notice for students, faculty and media.

Public Records Act (PRA) Update Bill (not yet filed)

Sponsor: Sen. Sharon Shewmake (outgoing) Sen. Shewmake, a recent appointee to the Sunshine Committee, is sponsoring a bill that would make multiple changes to the Public Records Act. Many of the proposed updates are similar to provisions included in prior-session bills that WashCOG opposed and would likely oppose again. The measure is expected to renew debates over exemptions, access standards, and administrative burdens under the PRA.

HB 1610, c. SB 5582

Concerning the disclosure of critical energy infrastructure information

This legislation returns from last session with revised language intended to clarify its scope. The bill would allow the Department of Commerce to collect data from companies involved in critical infrastructure—such as electric and gas utilities—and exempt that information from public disclosure. While framed as a security-related measure, the bill raises concerns about limiting access to information of significant public interest.

SB 6002

Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Data ExemptionSponsor: Sen. Yasmin TrudeauThis proposal, still under development, would create a blanket exemption under the Public Records Act for data collected by Automated License Plate Reader systems. WashCOG is watching closely due to the breadth of the proposed exemption and its implications for public oversight of surveillance technologies used by government agencies.

Legislator safety bill - Under construction

The goal is to keep secret lawmakers’ property addresses – and potentially similar information about their staff. The goal is to help them feel safe in these politically volatile times but has implications on verifying their residency.