BY MARIA HUIZA FOR THE EMPIRE STATE LOCAL NEWS COALITION | Earlier this year, Chelsea Community News (CCNews) joined over 200 other local newspapers in New York State to launch the Empire State Local News Coalition, which successfully advocated for a state tax credit to support jobs in local newsrooms across the state.

Now, the fruits of this effort are paying off.

Spurred by the Newspaper and Broadcast Media Jobs Program—the nation’s first tax credit incentivizing hiring at local media outlets—three new local newspapers launched earlier this month in areas previously impacted by newsroom closures in Westchester and on Long Island.

Two of the three Westchester communities that lost their newspapers earlier this year saw the founding of the Rivertowns Dispatch (Ardsley, Hastings-On-Hudson, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington) and The Recorder (Bedford, Lewisboro, Pound Ridge). A third newspaper, the Floral Park Villager, debuted on Long Island in a community that lost its own weekly paper during the COVID-19 pandemic, further demonstrating the program’s ability to revive local journalism and reestablish connections within these communities.

“Congratulations are due, both for the publishers who’ve answered the call to provide hyperlocal news to an area starving for it, as well as the Empire State Local News Coalition,” said Chelsea Community News founder/editor Scott Stiffler. It was the Coalition’s “sustained and significant effort throughout this year,” noted Stiffler, “that helped turn that confidence-building tax credit into a reality. And while we’re taking victory laps, I’ve got to include my local NYS Senator, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, in the winner’s circle. As the legislation’s co-sponsor, he’s been carrying the banner, so to speak, since a November 2021 press release from his office first introduced the concept that all of New York State stands to benefit from legislation meant to sustain local journalism while providing a vision for its long-term viability.”

Said Zachary Richner, founder of the Empire State Local News Coalition and director of Richner Communications. “When we support local journalism, our communities win. The launch of new local, independent news outlets in Westchester and Long Island is a testament to the momentum created by New York’s passage of the nation’s first tax credit for hiring at local media outlets. We started the Empire State Local News Coalition after some of these very communities lost vital news sources earlier this year and are thrilled by this resurgence in a shockingly short amount of time.”

The Empire State Local News Coalition, which represents over 200 New York newspapers, was instrumental in advocating for the program’s inclusion in the State budget, which offers a 50% refundable tax credit on the first $50,000 of each employee’s salary, with a cap of $300,000 per business over three years. The passage of this bill aims to help combat the state’s rapid decline in local journalism in New York. The state has lost nearly half of its newspapers and thousands of media jobs over the past two decades.

Publishers of the new newspapers shared their optimism and positive outlook for their industry in light of the Newspaper and Broadcast Media Jobs program. Allison Schulte, publisher of the Rivertowns Dispatch stated, “We launched the Rivertowns Dispatch to bring back local news to the communities of Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Ardsley & Dobbs Ferry, New York after our old local newspaper closed earlier this year. We launched the Rivertowns Dispatch because we believe starting with a shared set of facts makes for richer community life, and that newspapers can be fun as well as useful. We are thrilled for the passage of the New York Newspaper and Broadcast Media Jobs Program because it makes it easier for us to hire full-time, quality journalists to share the news and information our communities want and need. We are so grateful to the Empire State Local News Coalition for its advocacy in bringing urgency to the challenges facing New York’s local media industry.”

Lloyd Trufelman, co-founder and publisher of The Recorder, highlighted the critical role of local news in preserving democracy: “The launch of The Recorder, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, shows New Yorkers recognize that a healthy democracy depends on access to reliable, quality news sources to stay informed.” Trufelman expressed hope that similar policies would continue to bolster nonprofit news outlets and support a diversified local news ecosystem.

On Long Island, Meg Morgan Norris, publisher of the Floral Park Villager, emphasized the program’s importance in the decision to launch the new paper. “The loss of Floral Park’s longtime newspaper, the Gateway Bulletin, during the COVID-19 pandemic was devastating for this tight-knit community. With the tax credit, there is a path to long-term fiscal stability for outlets like ours,” Norris said.

As local journalism continues to face evolving challenges, the Empire State Local News Coalition and Chelsea Community News remain committed to advocating for long-term sustainability in the industry so that coverage areas like Chelsea, the Flatiron and Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen, and Broadway/Times Square have trusted local news sources. These new publications mark a hopeful step forward in the resurgence of local media across New York, with the coalition pushing for continued legislative support to ensure the long-term sustainability of local journalism.

NOTE: The views expressed by our Guest Opinion writers are not necessarily those of Chelsea Community News.

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ChelseaCommunityNews.com (CCNews) is an independent, single-owner online newspaper providing news, arts, events, and opinion content to Manhattan’s Chelsea community and its adjacent areas (Flatiron/NoMad and Meatpacking Districts, Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen, Broadway/Times Square, and the Penn Station area).  Our editorial content is made possible by advertising revenue, grants, quarterly pledges of support, and voluntary reader donations (click here for our GoFundMe campaign). To join our subscriber list, click here to receive ENewsletters containing links to recently published content–as well as an occasional “Sponsored Content” email featuring an advertiser’s exclusive message. 

ChelseaCommunityNews.com is a member of the New York Press Association (NYPA) and the Empire State Local News Coalition. Our content is collected for placement in the United States Library of Congress’ LGBTQ+ Studies Web Archive. (“We consider your website to be an important part of  the historical record,” read a July 26, 2019 email.) Our freelance reporters have been recognized by NYPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest, with Honorable Mention wins for Best News or Feature Series  (2021, 2023). CCNews is a three-time winner in the Coverage of the Arts category (First Place and Honorable Mention, 2022 and Third Place, 2023).

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