NAA spent US$1.6 million lobbying government

The Newspaper Association of America spent almost US$1.6 million last year lobbying the U.S. government on issues ranging from advertising to freedom of information requests, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

According to a disclosure form from the Senate’s public records office, the NAA spent a total of $1,578,000 (€1,071,428) in 2007, lobbying the government on issues such as “whether drug companies are allowed to market directly to consumers, the laws forcing government agencies to provide reporters with requested information, rules on how many properties media companies can own and whether telemarketers can call people who do not want to be called,” the AP stated.

The newspaper trade group spent $775,000 in the first half of 2007, and $803,000 in the second half. An additional $300,000 was paid to lobbying firms Covington & Burling LLP and Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber during the year, according to the AP.