18A:64-94 Findings, declarations relative to the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium.

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. The people of New Jersey need accurate, relevant, timely, and trustworthy news and information to be civically engaged, make informed voting decisions, and work toward common solutions in their communities.

b. News media operations in the State have endured major cutbacks in recent years, resulting in less coverage of important State matters. These cutbacks not only hurt the news media's financial health, but also harm communities by reducing the news and civic information to which residents have access.

c. This situation has resulted in the need to authorize the establishment of, and to fund, the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium (consortium), a consortium of five State public universities, to advance research and innovation in the field of media and technology to better inform the State's communities to benefit the State's civic life and evolving information needs.

d. By leveraging the resources, knowledge, and expertise of the State's public universities through a partnership with The College of New Jersey, Montclair State University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rowan University, and Rutgers, The State University, the consortium could bolster public-interest journalism, civic information, and media innovation.

e. The consortium would provide grants that support news and information that benefit the State's civic life and meet the evolving information needs of New Jersey's underserved communities.

f. Investments from the consortium, supporting the State's academia, media, innovation, and community service sectors, could advance these goals while ensuring financial sustainability, accountability, and lasting public faith in both the consortium and the work it supports.

g. It is therefore necessary and in the public interest to establish the consortium and provide a funding source for the awarding of grants to organizations working to meet these goals.

L.2018, c.111, s.1.