Policy
2025 marked the year LION shifted from reactively responding to legislation to actively mobilizing our members to help shape it.
At the start of 2025, we appointed Chuck Corra as our first associate director of policy & advocacy. Before this hire, LION didn’t have a dedicated staffer focused on legislative policy, so our members didn’t have a seat at the table where critical decisions affecting their businesses were being made. That changed this year.
Throughout 2025, we tracked 80 bills across 27 states and D.C.; some of the big ones being:
- Bill SB155 in California, which passed in September, established a $10 million California Civic Media Fund to support local news organizations.
- LION was appointed a seat on an eight-person advisory board responsible for determining how those funds will be distributed. We met directly with the bill sponsor’s staff to ensure that the perspective of small indie publishers was represented throughout the lawmaking process.
- We also met with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to help them develop the funding distribution structure. This is the first program of its kind in the state — and one of the first in the country.
- Up next: We’re working to organize regular meetings with CA-based LIONs to brief them on the advisory board meetings and gather their input.
- Bill SB686 in Oregon, which would have required “online platforms to pay digital journalism providers or donate to the Oregon Civic Information Consortium,” similar to Canada’s Online News Act. LION member Lookout Eugene called the bill “[an unintentional] dagger to the heart of local news,” citing that if it passed, it could cut Oregon’s news businesses by 50 percent.
- Our outreach to OR-based LIONs led to 36 percent submitting public testimony, with four members meeting directly with lawmakers. When the bill reached the floor of the Oregon Senate, it failed by a narrow margin.
We’re also working on developing a Washington Local News Coalition with Free Press, with several LIONs as signatories. And we’re already backing important bills in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that are expected to take shape in 2026.
Our work doesn’t stop at state-level legislation; in 2025, we supported several sign-on letters on federal policy issues, including:
- A letter in opposition to changing the National Television Multiple Ownership Rule.
- A letter urging Congress to vote “No” on a censorship amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.
We wrapped up the year by reaching a major milestone — publishing LION’s inaugural policy platform, which clearly outlines our policy priorities and provides key insights into what members need and what policymakers need to know.
Our Impact
“Last year, Oregon's considered adopting SB 686 which would stand to fine major tech companies for benefiting from original reporting while selling advertising. As a new publisher who has never stepped foot in the legislative arena, I would have no idea where or how to start working at that level to be an advocate for my sector of the industry. Working with LION's team to not only understand the discussions but take measurable steps to ensuring decisions were made with our voice included. The bill as written would largely exclude small, independent publishers like Newsberg while providing most benefit to legacy outlets. Thanks to LION, we were able to form an opinion that stalled the bill until we could get a seat at the table to ensure all of Oregon's news media ecosystem would benefit, not just largely conglomerate-owned outlets.”
— Branden Andersen, Newsberg
In The News
Chuck sheds light on his new position in this Q&A with Nieman Lab.