Two very different news stories came out of the nation’s capital region a day apart last week that resonated with us here at your local newspaper.

Anyone who hears the news of journalists losing their lives in the line of duty might quickly dismiss the report as something that happened half a world away — or at least somewhere outside our nation’s borders. And that would make sense.

In 2020, Reporters Without Borders, an independent global non-governmental organization, tallied 50 cases of journalists killed in connection with their work.

But the report also highlighted another concerning detail: More journalists are dying in countries considered to be “at peace.” In 2016, 58% of media fatalities took place in war zones. Now, only 32% of the fatalities are in war-torn countries. In other words, more than two thirds of the fatalities are in countries “at peace” — above all, Mexico (eight journalists killed), India (four), the Philippines (three), and Honduras (three), the agency stated.

This subject hit home because on July 21, the gunman found criminally responsible for killing five people at the Capital Gazette’s newsroom in Annapolis, Md., was scheduled to be sentenced. John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, Rob Hiaasen, and Rebecca Smith were killed in the June 2018 attack, and six others were wounded. A year later, the shooter pleaded guilty to all 23 counts against him, but pleaded not criminally responsible — Maryland’s version of an insanity plea. Nonetheless, it took a jury less than two hours to declare the individual legally sane and criminally responsible for his actions.

This case, although rare, illustrates that even on US soil, journalists are the targets of vicious and violent retribution for simply striving to tell the truth and serve their readers.

That is why we were heartened to see federal lawmakers going to bat July 22 to ensure that community journalism remains sustainable. On that day, three US senators introduced a companion bill to HR 3940, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, a bipartisan effort seeking to help local newspapers sustain financial viability through tax credits.

The first credit would incentivize annual subscriptions to local papers that primarily produce local news and event reporting. The second is a five-year credit for local newspapers to employ and adequately compensate journalists. The last is a five-year tax credit that incentivizes small businesses to advertise with local newspapers.

Connecticut is still fortunate to have numerous independent newspapers serving its communities. But we could do much more in terms of public service journalism, business, and health reporting, and serving as government watchdogs, if adequate resources were available. So The Newtown Bee stands with our colleagues across our state and nation in asking everyone who appreciates the role community journalism plays to contact federal lawmakers. Ask them to support this unique effort to ensure our industry, along with the many journalists and readers who depend on it, survives as your local paper has since we first struck ink onto newsprint back in 1877.