Starting Jan. 1, a new state task force will study the status of journalism across the state and make recommendations for improvement to the Illinois General Assembly.
The task force will conduct a comprehensive study relative to communities underserved by local journalism in Illinois, review all aspects of local journalism including, but not limited to, the adequacy of press coverage of communities, print and digital business models for media outlets, the impact of social media on local news, strategies to improve local news access, and public policy solutions to improve the sustainability of local press business models and private and nonprofit solutions, and submit findings and recommendations to the governor and General Assembly by Jan. 1, 2023.
The task force will consist of 15 members, all of which will be appointed to be in the task force. One representative will be from the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
This story was published on gmtoday.com on Aug. 25, 2021.