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Resolved: That it is the sense of the City Council they wish to support bills S.41 An Act to Modernize Funding for Community Media Programming and H.91 to sustain local media infrastructure and civic engagement.
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WHEREAS, a robust and independent local media infrastructure is essential to ensuring Community media centers serve a crucial role in maintaining civic transparency, supporting local education, offering workforce training, and strengthening community engagement;
WHEREAS, Malden’s Urban Media Art (UMA’s) mission is to inform, engage, and connect the community—directly supports local government transparency, civic engagement, small business visibility, and youth and adult media literacy;
WHEREAS, local news organizations face significant financial challenges that threaten their ability to provide comprehensive coverage of community issues, local government, schools, public safety, and other matters of public interest;
WHEREAS, Urban Media Arts (UMA) was recently forced to reduce staffing levels due to a significant decline in cable franchise fee revenue—funds that have historically supported our core operations and community services;
WHEREAS, bills S.41 (An Act to Modernize Funding for Community Media Programming) and H.91 (An Act to Sustain Local Media and Civic Engagement) have been introduced in the Massachusetts Legislature to provide critical funding and resources to preserve and strengthen local news outlets and civic information platforms;
WHEREAS, sustaining local media infrastructure aligns with the City of Malden’s commitment to open government, community participation, and ensuring residents have access to timely and accurate information; and
WHEREAS, supporting these bills will help maintain a vibrant local press that holds public officials accountable and encourages citizen involvement in democratic processes;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Malden City Council hereby expresses its strong support for bills S.41 and H.91 and urges the Massachusetts Legislature to pass these measures promptly; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Governor of Massachusetts, the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, the local legislative delegation, and the Massachusetts Municipal Association to advocate for the importance of sustaining local media infrastructure and civic engagement across the Commonwealth.