New Jersey just became the first state to help revive local news

Sandwiched between the major media markets of New York and Philadelphia, New Jersey has long been the neglected middle child for news coverage. It's only gotten worse with the steady decline of the newspaper industry over the last decade.

On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law that aims to fill the local news void in the Garden State by creating the Civic Information Consortium, a grant making organization led by a group of universities that would fund media start-ups. Supporters have said this is the first endeavor of its kind in the nation.

But Murphy's signing statement raised doubt about how much money they state immediately could dedicate to the cause. The legislation called for $5 million from the Trust Fund for the Support of Public Broadcasting, but "far less than $5 million remains available" in the fund, Murphy's statement said.

"I am hopeful that a sufficient amount of funding will be available to support the Consortium as it begins its important work," Murphy, a Democrat, wrote. "My signature today represents my unwavering commitment to strengthening news outlets in New Jersey at this very critical time in our history.

Read more: https://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/08/nj_just_became_the_1st_state_to_help_local_news_th.html