To the editor: Columnist George Skelton is too kind to Gov. Gavin Newsom for dismantling California’s Journalism Preservation Act. (“Newsom and lawmakers bow to Google, hurting news industry,” column, Aug. 26)
In the governor's latest about-face, he has scuttled legislation that would force internet giants like Google to give back to news organizations some of the billions they have made by stealing from the ancient and proud profession.
Shockingly, the tech industry continues to profit from the newspapers' news stories that it steals without any qualms. This theft occurs while newspapers continue to suffer across the country and our democracy suffers.
Does Newsom know what Thomas Jefferson thought about newspapers? In 1787 he wrote: “As the foundation of our government is the opinion of the people, the first object ought to be to maintain that right; and if it were left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”
There's no doubt that if he were alive today, newspaper publisher Benjamin Franklin would be busy writing Newsom and many letters to the editor.
June Maguire, Mission Viejo
