New Jersey cannot afford to deepen its news deserts
State’s public funding of local news, lifted up as a model in the nation, should be restored
At a moment when misinformation spreads faster than facts and trust in public institutions is fragile, New Jersey should be strengthening its investment in reliable civic information, not widening the news deserts that already leave too many communities in the dark.
The proposed elimination of funding for the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium in the state’s fiscal year 2026-2027 budget is not simply a cut to journalism. It is a blow to the public’s ability to make informed decisions about the issues that shape daily life in their communities and the state.
In 2018, the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium was created to confront the growing crisis in local news, the spread of news deserts, the escalation of misinformation and disinformation, and the shrinking number of reporters in the Garden State. New Jersey became a national model for recognizing that local journalism and civic information are essential to a functioning democracy.
Just last month, Governor Mikie Sherrill stood before journalists from across the state at the Excellence in Community Media Awards and praised local journalism as “a lifeline” to communities. She said community media plays “a vital role in shedding light on untold local stories” and asked a question that goes to the heart of why this funding matters: “Who’s going to be at some of the town municipal meetings … to get very busy people some news out about what’s going on and how you can make good decisions?”
Those words were right.
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And that is exactly why the proposed elimination of funding is so troubling.
If local journalism is as vital as the governor herself acknowledged only weeks ago, the state’s budget should reflect that commitment. Support for an informed public shouldn’t just be celebrated in speeches. It should be sustained in policy.
We have seen across the nation what happens when misinformation fills an information vacuum.
Rumor replaces fact. Social media speculation replaces reporting. False narratives spread where there are too few reporters attending public meetings, reviewing budgets, filing public records requests, and asking difficult questions.
A less informed public does not simply mean fewer stories.
It means worse public choices.
Residents are less equipped to understand policy proposals, less able to evaluate elected officials, and more vulnerable to false claims that can distort civic life and democratic decision-making.
Government cannot serve as its own watchdog alone.
Public agencies can publish reports, dashboards, and press releases, but independent journalism plays a fundamentally different role. It scrutinizes official narratives, follows the money, uncovers what is being withheld, and holds institutions accountable in ways government simply cannot do for itself.
In a state with 565 municipalities, sprawling county governments, authorities, and agencies that make decisions affecting millions of residents, that watchdog role is not optional.
It is essential civic infrastructure.
If lawmakers allow this funding cut to stand, reporting capacity will shrink more, information gaps will widen, and communities already underserved by local news will have even fewer reliable sources of information.
This is how news deserts widen.
The question now is whether New Jersey intends to remain a national model for civic information or retreat at the very moment the need is greatest.
The governor and the New Jersey Legislature still have time to act before the budget is finalized. Lawmakers should restore funding for the Consortium and make clear that in New Jersey, an informed public is not an afterthought.
Editor’s note: The Jersey Vindicator is one of more than 50 news organizations across the state that receive funding from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium. Without the support of the consortium and readers, our work would not be possible.
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Krystal Knapp is the founder, executive director, and publisher of The Jersey Vindicator and the founder of Planet Princeton. She has more than two decades of experience reporting in New Jersey, including 10 years at The Trenton Times, where she was the newsroom’s public records and computer-assisted reporting expert. Her work has been recognized by the New Jersey Press Association and the Center for Cooperative Media. You can reach her at Krystal AT jerseyvindicator.org.