Five more state attorneys general have joined the already established eight states in aiming to block the merger between Nexstar Media Group and TEGNA.
On Thursday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that those holding the same office in Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Vermont have joined the federal antitrust lawsuit as plaintiffs.
“This is not controversial stuff — this merger is illegal and will give Nexstar and TEGNA the ability to control and raise prices, fire journalists, and dominate the media landscape,” Bonta said in a statement.
The previous state attorneys general included in the lawsuit were from Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Virginia, in addition to California. The attorneys general of Indiana and Kansas are both Republicans, while all the others are Democrats.
In a statement, Nexstar Media Group blasted those new members of the lawsuit, calling them “misguided” in the process.
“By aligning with private equity-backed DIRECTV, these misguided attorneys general are strangling local journalism – the most trusted source of independent, fact-based news available to Americans,” the Nexstar statement reads. “The AGs, none of whom has a track record of advocating for local media, would do well to understand the industry they purport to protect. They should also recognize the binding commitments Nexstar has made to increase the amount of local news coverage in many markets, including today’s settlement with the Ohio Attorney General. And they should be far more wary of the real drivers of the decline of local news: the unchecked rise of Big Tech platforms, the spread of misinformation on social media, and the economic pressures that have already led to widespread newsroom closures.
“Tellingly, none of them appeared on local broadcast news to discuss this issue, but their social media posts were immediate,” the statement continued. “In today’s media landscape, multi-billion-dollar technology companies compete directly with local broadcasters while facing none of the same ownership, reach, or size constraints, putting untenable pressure on the economic model that supports local news. The alternative to this deal is not more independently owned outlets – it’s the demise of your local broadcast station.”
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