Media Ownership Rules Constrain News Publishing, Says NAA

The news publishing industry “continues to be uniquely constrained by a federal rule that deprives newspapers of investment,” said the Newspaper Association of America in meetings with Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, aides to Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, and aides to Chairman Tom Wheeler Thursday. “Constraining broadcasting companies from investing in publishing does not foster diversity, localism or competition -- in fact, this irrational and outdated rule prevents investment that could support high-quality journalism in local communities,” said the NAA in docket 14-50. “There is no record evidence that maintaining the cross-ownership rule supports diversity or that repealing it would threaten diversity.” Earlier last week, NAA slammed a draft FCC order that wouldn't junk the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership ban on same-market properties in both classes (see 1606290052). At the meetings, in addition to lawyers for NAA was Sara Johnson Borton, publisher of South Carolina papers including The State in Columbia and Hilton Head Island's The Island Packet.