A lot of local news publishers are hoping the old cliché holds: as goes California, so goes the nation.
The state legislature has just passed AB 2222, which would give California news publishers a tax credit for employing — wait for it — journalists. The more they hire, the bigger the credit.
Sponsored by Assemblymembers Chris Ward (D-San Diego) and Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the bill is aimed squarely at helping all publishers – digital and print – staff their newsrooms. As Ward put it on the Assembly floor: “This bill invests directly in local journalism jobs, supporting reporters who are covering schools, local government, public safety and community issues that Californians rely on every day.”
Even in our current age of distrust and disinformation, local news is trusted by roughly 70% of Americans. That’s a sharp difference from the way many see national news.
The idea behind AB 222 is simple: sustain the local news outlets that, as every elected official knows, carry their message to voters. For free.
The bill passed by healthy margins — three to one in the Senate, nearly four to one in the Assembly. If signed by Gov. Newsom, the law takes effect in January.
Loyal readers know Spot-On has backed this idea for a while. We’ve also done something about it.
Our Pinpoint Persuasion Platform (P3) is an automated direct-buy platform that lets campaigns support local news with their political ad dollars.
Buying local is hard — trust us, we have the scars and the war stories. That’s where P3 helps.
Outlets are grouped by election district, so buyers can pick exactly the sites they need. Publisher pricing is right there, and details on inventory and add-ons like homepage takeovers and newsletter placements are coming soon.
Because P3 is a direct buy, disclaimer review and editorial clearance happen with the publisher — not with an anonymous third party that may not even be in the U.S.
In short, we make it easy for media buyers and consultants to put ad dollars behind local news, with the money going straight to publications — no tech taxes, no mysterious fees, lost emails or misplaced creatives.
Here’s a short video, starring our mascot Spottina, that walks you through what we’ve built. She’s a little bit of AI magic but everything you see up there is real.
Interested? We’re offering free early access to a handful of buyers this month which comes with some sweet discounts. AND your feedback will help us make P3 exactly what buyers need.