As used in this Act: "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. "Local news organization" means an entity that: (1) engages professionals to create, edit, produce, and distribute original content concerning matters of public interest, through reporting activities, including conducting interviews, observing current events, or analyzing documents or other information; (2) has at least one employee employed full-time for 30 hours a week or more dedicated to providing coverage of Illinois or local Illinois community news and living within 50 miles of the coverage area, who gathers, prepares, collects, photographs, writes, edits, reports, or publishes original local or State community news for dissemination to the local or State community; (3) in the case of print publications, has published at least one print publication per month over the previous 12 months, and either holds a valid United States Postal Service periodical permit or has at least 25% of its content dedicated to local news; (4) in the case of digital-only entities, has published one piece about the community per week over the previous 12 months and has at least 33% of its digital audience in Illinois, averaged over a 12-month period; (5) in the case of hybrid entities that that have both print and digital outlets, meets the requirements in either paragraph (3) or (4) of this definition; (6) has disclosed in its print publication or on its website its beneficial ownership or, in the case of a not-for-profit entity, its board of directors; (7) in the case of an entity that maintains tax status under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, has declared the coverage of local or State news as the stated mission in its filings with the Internal Revenue Service; and (8) has not received more than 50% of its gross receipts for the previous year from political action committees or other entities described in Section 527 of the federal Internal Revenue Code, or from an organization that maintains Section 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) status under the federal Internal Revenue Code. and distribute original content concerning matters of public interest, through reporting activities, including conducting interviews, observing current events, or analyzing documents or other information; 30 hours a week or more dedicated to providing coverage of Illinois or local Illinois community news and living within 50 miles of the coverage area, who gathers, prepares, collects, photographs, writes, edits, reports, or publishes original local or State community news for dissemination to the local or State community; at least one print publication per month over the previous 12 months, and either holds a valid United States Postal Service periodical permit or has at least 25% of its content dedicated to local news; published one piece about the community per week over the previous 12 months and has at least 33% of its digital audience in Illinois, averaged over a 12-month period; both print and digital outlets, meets the requirements in either paragraph (3) or (4) of this definition; website its beneficial ownership or, in the case of a not-for-profit entity, its board of directors; status under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code, has declared the coverage of local or State news as the stated mission in its filings with the Internal Revenue Service; and receipts for the previous year from political action committees or other entities described in Section 527 of the federal Internal Revenue Code, or from an organization that maintains Section 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) status under the federal Internal Revenue Code.
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