Governor Newsom Signs Bill to Boost Revenue to California Ethnic and Community Media

Agencies will be required to report annually on their progress, ensuring transparency and accountability.Photo byAdeolu EletuonUnsplash

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1511, a new law requiring state agencies to develop plans to increase advertising spending in media outlets serving California's diverse populations.

Authored by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), the law aims to strengthen ethnic and community media by directing more state advertising dollars toward these outlets.

"Display ads are the lifeblood of community newspapers. The passage of AB1511 creates a win-win for both ethnic media and the state," said Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, Publisher of the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol Newspaper, a bilingual paper serving a largely immigrant Latino community since 1904.

Agencies will be required to report annually on their progress, ensuring transparency and accountability. Sponsored by the Latino Media Collaborative, the law represents a crucial step in providing financial stability to ethnic media while helping reach underserved communities with critical state information.