Iowa Starting Line: Joni Ernst Wants Local Media Covered By COVID Relief Funding

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst wants the Paycheck Protection Program to be expanded so local newspapers, radio and TV stations can access financial assistance at a time when journalists are being furloughed and laid off due in large part to a dramatic drop in advertising revenue.

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created as part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economy Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress at the end of March. The initial rollout of the program authorized $349 billion in forgivable loans for businesses with less than 500 employees, leaving out a large swath of local outlets that are owned by large companies like Gannett, which operates hundreds of daily and weekly newspapers in 47 states, including the Des Moines Register, and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

Read source here