New Jersey § 18a:64-94

§ 18a:64-94.

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 six 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, Kean University, 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.