More than 5,000 people each day wake up and click on news from GOOD Morning Wilton — a hyperlocal news website in Wilton. On the site, they read about local schools, town elections, budget planning, and the accomplishments of their neighbors.
These readers seek out GOOD Morning Wilton’s news coverage and advertising because the information they read can’t be found anywhere else — not even in the larger regional newspapers nearby owned by large out-of-state chains that offer only spotty and often delayed news about Wilton.
“GOOD Morning Wilton is the only news outlet covering Wilton with reporters who live here,” said founder and editor Heather Borden Herve, who leads a small staff of freelancers. “Our children attend school here. We pay taxes here. And [we] care about the things our neighbors here do.”
Despite being effective in reaching a highly engaged audience of Connecticut residents, Borden Herve receives no advertising from the state: no ads promoting public health, resources for seniors and job-seekers, or any of the other information Connecticut agencies need to get to local audiences like hers.
But a bill introduced by Rep. Kate Farrar (D-West Hartford) would change that. Raised Bill 5408 (An Act Concerning The Purchase Of Print And Digital Advertising By The State) would set aside 15% of the funds the state already spends on advertising and direct it to publications like GOOD Morning Wilton and dozens of other Connecticut-owned community news outlets serving their communities with trusted reporting.
The bill would prioritize advertising in Connecticut-owned local news outlets — print and digital — over Facebook and Google and the largest corporate chain newspapers. The estimated $1-3 million this bill would allocate to local news outlets means little to those tech firms and large outlets, but it would be a game-changer for publications like GOOD Morning Wilton and other small Connecticut-owned newsrooms.
Americans consistently say such local ties make local news outlets like GOOD Morning Wilton and other local news sources the most trusted source of information in their world, while trust in social media outlets and information found online continues to plummet. That makes local news an essential tool for government agencies to reach audiences with critical information they will trust. It also makes advertising in those local outlets a smart, effective, and efficient use of public funds.
Government performs most efficiently and effectively when they reach their target audiences with important information about programs and services — but they often simply take the path of least resistance — placing money with “social media” in the belief that their information will be seen by those who need it. But government gets what it pays for. Social media advertising is cheap because its algorithms do all the work, notoriously allowing scammers and clickbait and other kinds of low-quality information to litter users’ daily feeds. Audiences recognize this, and ignore or mistrust this advertising accordingly.
That’s why Raised Bill 5408 is good for government — allowing agencies to meaningfully reach hard-to-reach audiences with essential information through trusted local news outlets using existing funds.
It is also good for Connecticut news outlets — providing them a consistent source of revenue to support hiring additional reporters to cover more local news even as local news outlets across the country continue to shrink. And the bill is good for communities — supporting reliable and trusted sources of information about their local governments, neighborhoods and daily life. Advertising with Connecticut-owned local news is essential because it keeps taxpayer dollars in the state, with small businesses that add value to their communities in countless ways.
The bill also makes reasonable exceptions. For example, in addition to using only existing funds, the bill also exempts government agencies that need to reach out-of-state business and audiences, meaning Connecticut agencies will still be able to advertise Connecticut businesses, tourist destinations and universities to audiences beyond the state. The bill also leaves half of the state advertising budget unrestricted, meaning they can still leverage large outlets and targeted advertising services if they want to.
One of the most important aspects of Raised Bill 5408 is its tracking component — requiring state agencies to account for where public advertising dollars are being spent and in what amounts. This brings transparency to the use of public funds, and forces the state to be intentional about its advertising spend. It also holds local news sites accountable for providing detailed data on how the ads are performing among their audience.
But the most important aspect of this bill — beyond its value to government agencies, communities, and local news outlets — is that it supports democracy itself.
“We’re the eyes and ears for voters and citizens, keeping them engaged and helping protect their rights, keeping them informed about elected officials and governing agencies,” said Borden Herve, a 30-year veteran journalist. “Town officials and residents have told us about our direct impact on increasing voter turnout. They know more and vote more because GOOD Morning Wilton keeps them informed.”
Indeed, communities that lose a local news source see declines in voter turnout, less competitive elections, higher taxes, and more government corruption.
“It’s vital for democracy that everyone have unfettered access to news,” Borden Herve said. “Considering that state advertising is funded by taxpayer dollars, it’s in the best interest of those same taxpayers to ensure their dollars are being used to benefit local communities and locally owned businesses — not out-of-state interests and media conglomerates.”
We couldn’t agree more. We urge Connecticut legislators to support Raised Bill 5408.
Lori Henson is Policy Manager for Rebuild Local News.