Welcome to SaveTheNews.org

SaveTheNews.org, a project of Free Press, is leading the search for new public policies to promote a robust free press in America.

SaveTheNews.org is a campaign to fight for better media in our communities. We are working to support innovative, quality journalism; to create a first-class public media system; to promote diverse and local media ownership that serves our communities; and to involve the American people in the process.

Journalism is a vital public good — not just another commodity. The Founders understood that an informed and engaged public was crucial to a healthy democracy; that’s why the press enjoys special protection in the First Amendment. However, the modern media culture bears only a faint resemblance to the vigorous and diligent press the Founders envisioned. The challenge before us is to identify the structures and policies that can help rebuild our media.

From the establishment of the U.S. Postal Service, which subsidized newspaper delivery, to the founding of the Federal Communications Commission in 1934 to the passage of the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act and the 1996 Telecommunications Act, the media have been fundamentally shaped by public policy.

The policy decisions made over the next few years will determine whether we prop up failing models or invest in the newsgathering we need. They’ll make the difference between keeping reporters on the beat and giving more handouts to the largest conglomerates. They’ll determine whether our public media are subject to the whims of partisan bickering or if they will serve communities with strength and independence, free from political pressure. Ultimately, these policies will determine whether the American people will get the news and information they need to participate in our democracy.

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