Bill To Require Pay For News Content Use On Social Media Sites Sparks Debate

A bill that would require social media sites to pay for news content from other media sites is stirring debate in Springfield. The state Senate bill would create a structure for online news outlets to negotiate with social media platforms for compensation whenever news from their site is shared on another site. The proposal comes from a state task force on local journalism that is studying ways to address the economic decline of local news outlets.