Google, Facebook to Pay Journalism Fee Under California Bill

California lawmakers are trying to advance legislation that would require digital platforms like Google and Facebook to pay a share of advertising revenue to media outlets after similar federal efforts have stalled.

The state legislation (A.B. 886) mirrors a federal measure in its attempt to help financially rescue local journalism companies and organizations. Newspapers rely heavily on social media and search engines to drive digital traffic as traditional print advertising revenues have disappeared. Meanwhile, titans like Google and Meta Platforms Inc. have controlled up to more than half of the online advertising market in recent years.

“These dominant ...