Asm. Louis D. Greenwald (D), Assembly Majority Leader, joins Steve Adubato to examine some of New Jersey’s top issues and his efforts to support independent media in the state.

Steve asks Asm. Greenwald about the Civic Information Consortium and what it means to New Jersey media. Asm. Greenwald describes it as a bipartisan initiative created to strengthen local journalism and public media in New Jersey. It emerged in response to federal funding cuts to outlets like PBS and broader attacks on journalism, which have weakened the presence of reporters and diminished opportunities for the public to access clear information about policy and elected officials. The consortium, championed by Chris Daggett and supported across parties, has invested $11 million since 2021 into community-based journalism projects through grants, aiming to rebuild local news capacity without government intervention and ensure that residents can engage with public policy beyond distorted campaign ads.