Following a number of newspaper closures, the state Senate Judiciary Committee adopted a bill requiring newspapers to submit subscription statistics and other metrics while the government decides how to handle legal advertisements and public notifications.
The unanimously approved bill extends the deadline for newspapers to take public notice ads, a major source of income, until June 30. According to the bill, newspapers would have to report to the legislature the average retail price of digital and print subscriptions, the number of subscriptions by municipality, the number of newspapers sold daily by retailers, the amounts billed for legal advertisements and public notices since 2020, broken down by public entity.
According to New Jersey Press Association general counsel Tom Cafferty, the organization supports the bill but requests additional information from the Office of Legislative Services regarding the data that must be provided. For instance, he claimed that when physical papers are distributed, it is simpler to identify subscription data arranged by municipality; however, with digital subscriptions, the data could not be as precise or accurate. (Billing addresses are stored in the database of news organizations.)
According to Cafferty, the legislative services office ought to give particular time periods for a portion of the data. According to state senator Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), the bill gives the legislative services office the latitude to decide on those details.
According to Cafferty, we are prepared to collaborate with the lawmakers and interested parties to find a solution to this challenging problem.
A hastily drafted bill that allowed newspapers, including the now-closed Star-Ledger, to continue accepting public notice ads until March 1 was approved by Governor Phil Murphy late last year. A reprieve for newspapers until the end of 2025 was originally granted under today’s measure; but, late modifications moved the deadline to June 30 before the Legislature adjourns for the summer.
