California’s historic partnership to save journalism creates a critical way forward for news publishers

California Black Media Executive Director Regina Wilson  by Regina Wilson, California Black Media Last week, California arrived at a turning point in the decades-long quest to find a solution to the news crisis in our state. Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) brokered a deal that promises to change the future of news in our state. This isn’t just another plan — it’s a unique collaboration that brings together the state of California, news publishers and tech companies to give our newsrooms the financial support they desperately need. It also includes the launching of a new National AI Accelerator to explore how artificial intelligence can help journalism thrive in today’s digital world. This partnership couldn’t come at a more critical time. Local journalism is on life support across our state. Across the country, news outlets are shrinking or shutting down at an alarming rate, leaving communities without vital information. A recent study from Northwestern University found that two and a half newspapers in the U.S. close every week. Since 2005, we’ve lost two-thirds of our newspaper journalists. In California alone, over 100 newspapers have disappeared in the last decade. Assemblymember Wicks, along with the state and other key players, have come up...