# Maryland Directs State Ads to Local News

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s Oct. 16, 2026, executive order directs state agencies to aim to place 50% of advertising-contract dollars with eligible Maryland news organizations. The target is aspirational, not a binding set-aside. The Department of General Services was required to publish an eligibility list by Nov. 1, and the Office of State Procurement must issue implementation guidance by **Dec. 1, 2026**. The Nov. 1 list deadline has passed; the signal does not state whether the list was published. For procurement teams, the order introduces a statewide objective to consider when planning advertising buys, while eligible local news organizations may gain access to state advertising opportunities.

- Agencies should account for the aspirational 50% target in advertising procurement and track how their spending aligns with the order; it does not establish a mandatory allocation.
- The Office of State Procurement’s implementation guidance is due Dec. 1, 2026. Procurement staff and eligible news organizations can use that guidance to understand how the order will be implemented.
- Maryland news organizations should review the eligibility rules and the Department of General Services’ eligibility list, which was due Nov. 1, to assess whether they may qualify for state advertising revenue.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Topics:** Policy
**Published:** November 13, 2026

### Government Entities
- Maryland Department of General Services
- Maryland Office of State Procurement
- State of Maryland

### Vendors
- Baltimore Public Media ()

### Key Quotes
> It is in the State’s best interest to ensure that local, independent community news and media outlets benefit from marketing and advertising contracts paid for with Maryland taxpayer dollars.
> — Wes Moore, Governor of Maryland

> Our main concern is that the agencies do what the order asks them to do.
> — Lori Henson, Manager of Government Advertising Policy at Rebuild Local News

### Sources
- [After veto, Maryland governor revives push to steer state ads to local news - Current](https://current.org/2026/11/after-veto-maryland-governor-revives-push-to-steer-state-ads-to-local-news) - Current