How many of you read locally on a regular basis?

If you’re reading this in print, you’re either a subscriber or you pick up a copy at a vendor location. Thank you for supporting a locally-owned business and the other locally-owned advertisers who promote their goods and services in print. We also offer an E-edition, so subscribers can access an online version of the paper via our website. Based on website traffic, our digital edition is popular among readers.

The quality journalism you’ve come to expect could come crashing down at any time though, especially if Big Tech has its say.

Did you know that 59% of Nebraska residents rely on Facebook for news and half of all Nebraska residents say Google is their primary news source.

When a reader seeks news via Big Tech, they fall victim to content filtering and data collection. They determine the type of content - true or untrue - is presented, when content is delivered and to whom.

Big Tech continues to strip ad revenue from local journalism outlets. Revenue for news publishers has decreased by $31 billion since 2006. Now, for each dollar spent on digital advertising on these platforms, Big Tech receives 60 cents. How? Consumer data collection.

What do small, community journalism outlets receive in return? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

When is the last time either of those mega-giants donated to post prom or the youth football team? When did Facebook or Google organize cruise night for the senior class or host a road rally at a community celebration or purchase a prize for the winners at the county fair?

Um, never.

Say it a little louder for the people in the back and think about it when you’re accessing news content.

Think about your social media feed. Who controls what you see? If you answered, “The company’s algorithm,” you’re today’s winner.

That’s why we support the Journalism Competition and preservation Act, a bipartisan bill, sponsored by Sens. Amy Klocubar and John Kennedy and Reps. David Cicilline and Ken Buck.

We hope you’ll support it, too.

JCPA allows news publishers a four-year safe harbor from antitrust laws for print, broadcast and digital-only news companies, to negotiate collectively with online distributors, for fair compensation for use of content.

In Nebraska, approximately 3,930 journalists and newsroom staff create content. With the passage of the JCPA, additional reporters could be hired at the local level so trustworthy news continues to be presented.

Without informed citizens, who have been presented facts from a free and reliable press, government agencies have the ability to keep details under wraps and Big Tech has the ability to feed the echo Chambers with misinformation.

Is that the kind of world you want to live in?

We hope you choose to support the JCPA and keep local journalism alive and well by contacting Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse and Rep. Adrian Smith and requesting they back the future of local journalism.

For more information about JCPA, contact LuAnn at 402-485-2101 or email [email protected].