Public Notice & the State Advocacy Coalition
America's Newspapers leads the national effort to protect and strengthen public notice laws — tracking legislation in statehouses across the country, supporting state press associations, and providing research-backed advocacy for local publishers and the communities they serve.
Public notices belong in local newspapers.
Public notices are a foundational element of open government — legally required announcements that inform citizens about what their government is doing. They work best when they are independently verified, permanently archived, and reliably accessible to the public.
Local newspapers have delivered on all three requirements for generations. Independent publication means the government can't control what the public sees. Archival stability means the notice is still there when it's needed in court or in civic life. Reliable access means the notice actually reaches the community, not just the screens of the already-connected.
Not controlled by government
Published by independent local newspapers, not the entities being held accountable.
Archived and verifiable
Newspaper records create durable, citable evidence of what was published and when.
Reaching actual communities
Local newspapers reach readers government websites and digital-only alternatives miss.
Stronger together. Unified when it matters most.
The coalition coordinates state-by-state advocacy efforts, creating a unified national voice for local newspapers. When public notice legislation threatens press freedom and revenue, we respond as one industry with shared intelligence and coordinated action.
States
Active Legislation
Report
Public notice law, state by state.
Quarterly state advocacy reports provide detailed analysis of public notice legislation in each coalition state — bill status, sponsors, likelihood of passage, and strategic context.
Federal, state, and legal priorities.
Advocacy happens on multiple fronts simultaneously. Here's what America's Newspapers is actively working on right now — federally, at the state level, and in the courts.
New Mexico signed tax credits for local newspapers into law.
Through SB 151 and HB 2, New Mexico adopted a targeted approach that directs support straight to where local news is produced. This is exactly the kind of state-level policy model that works.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the legislation, recognizing the essential role of independent local newspapers in communities statewide. The New Mexico Press Association led state-level advocacy with support from America's Newspapers.
Read the full storyCommunity News & Small Business Support Act
Federal tax credit legislation to help sustain local news operations and small business local advertising.
Journalism Competition and Preservation Act
Limited antitrust exemption allowing publishers to negotiate collectively with dominant platforms.
Local News for Maryland Communities Act
First-in-the-nation revenue-neutral model for sustaining local news — a potential template for other states.
Freedom of the Press & Legal Fund
Supporting press freedom in courtrooms and newsrooms across the country. Legal resources for members.
Public notice research, in one place.
Journalists, legislators, researchers, and advocates — this is the research hub for public notice. Evidence-backed analysis of why independent publication, permanent archives, and reliable community access matter. Link to us. Cite us. Use this.
Florida HB 7049 Study Results
Evidence from statewide data (2020-2024) showing what happens when public notices move to government websites — 37% reduction in notices, no increase in website traffic.
View the researchPublic Notice Marketing Campaign
Ready-to-use print and social media ads highlighting the need to protect public notices in newspapers and readers' right to know.
Download campaign materialsIndependent Publication Analysis
Evidence on why third-party publication of public notices produces better outcomes than government-controlled alternatives.
Research in developmentPermanent Records, Verifiable Archives
How newspaper publication creates durable, citable records that digital-only alternatives cannot match.
Research in developmentWho Actually Sees Public Notices
Audience data on newspaper public notice readership versus government websites and digital-only channels.
Research in developmentEconomic Impact on Local News
The economic role public notice revenue plays in sustaining local news infrastructure — and who pays the price when it's removed.
Research in developmentThe voice of America's Newspapers.
Editorials, commentary, and op-eds on public notice, press freedom, and the future of local newspapers — available for reprint by members and state press associations.
America's Newspapers State Advocacy Coalition: Seeing the full policy picture
Six months in, the State Advocacy Coalition provides a broader view across hundreds of bills and a wide range of approaches. The work happens in the weeds: tracking legislation, reviewing bill language and flagging proposals that could quietly weaken — or reinforce — the role newspapers play in public notice and transparency.
Proof Matters: What the New Public Notice Research Confirms
The research is clear. Public notices in independent local newspapers produce better outcomes for communities, governments, and the rule of law.
Why independent publication of public notices protects everyone
When the entities being watched control the record of what they do, the public loses. Independent publication is the safeguard that keeps the system honest.