PA Newspapers Fight Legal Notices Proposal

Newspaper publishers from Pennsylvania told a House committee last week that new legislation could cost thousands of jobs, but local government officials accused the publishers of simply trying to protect an advertising monopoly.

According to a story by  Darwyyn Devo at poconorecord.com, at issue is legislation, that would allow local governments to post their legal advertising — such as announcements of meetings, construction bids and other required public information — on websites instead of in local newspapers.

Martin Till, president and publisher of The Easton Express-Times, told the House Local Government Committee that the bill would cost 1,000 reporting jobs statewide due to the loss of advertising revenues.
"If that happens, the state unemployment compensation fund is going to be on the hook for over $1 million a month," said Till.

Elan Herr, assistant executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors, argued that the newspapers' opposition to H.B. 633 was not rooted in concern over public transparency but in the potential for lost advertising revenue.

"(The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association) would have you believe that townships just want to hide critical information," said Herr. "Instead, they will tell you only daily or weekly newspapers of general circulation can be trusted to provide this critical service, printing legal notices near the back of the paper at exorbitant rates."

Herr argued that newspapers should provide legal advertising at "reasonable prices," potentially free of charge.

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