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Rasoul for Lt. Governor Releases Plan to Support Local Journalism

ROANOKE - On Tuesday Del. Sam Rasoul (D-11), candidate for Lieutenant Governor, announced a plan to support local journalism in Virginia. The plan was first reported by Charlottesville Tomorrow, a nonprofit public service journalism outlet.


The plan's release follows the downsizing of newsrooms in local outlets across the Commonwealth, including the Roanoke Times, which has lost over 25% of its newsroom employees since early 2020.

Rasoul’s plan includes:

  • Tax credits to increase subscriptions to local outlets and incentivize advertising in local outlets

  • Ensuring a substantial portion of government advertising is spent in locally owned newspapers, including Black- and brown-owned and nonprofit outlets

  • Capping FOIA fees at $100

  • Making government meetings public and open to press whenever possible

Read the full plan on Rasoul’s website.

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant. A free press at the local level holding government accountable and rooting out corruption is essential to a strong, functional democracy," said Rasoul. “In Roanoke and so many communities, we've seen our newspapers of record gutted and cut down. This is a critical moment where we must commit to supporting journalism in Virginia and ensuring it can thrive and grow once again."


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