On March 7, 2018, Cicilline introduced the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act to the House. The aim of the bill was to temporarily allow news publishers to band together to negotiate with large online platforms, such as Facebook and Google. In a fact sheet published by Cicilline's office, he claimed that a “free and diverse press, particularly local press, is the backbone for a healthy and vibrant democracy.” One of the goals of the bill was to restore public trust in online media.