Feder: Ex-anchor urges lawmakers to protect local news

Steve Stadelman spent 25 years as a TV news anchor and reporter in Rockford before he became an Illinois state senator. Now he's sponsoring a bill to protect journalism in small towns and mid-sized cities statewide.

It would create a task force to study communities underserved by local journalism and make recommendations on how to preserve and restore news coverage in those areas.

"As a former journalist and news anchor, I know how important it is to have access to truly local news," he said in a statement. "People deserve to know what's happening in their communities regardless of where they live. Your address should not dictate the quality and type of information you have access to. This measure is meant to start a conversation and provide new ideas to help address shrinking press coverage in our communities."

Stadelman worked for ABC affiliate WTVO in Rockford before getting elected as a Democrat in 2012.

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