Local news plays an essential role in promoting accountability and transparency, as well as keeping residents informed about issues affecting their daily lives. It serves as a “watchdog” for those in power and can amplify the voices of community members. Across the country, local news outlets are facing serious challenges. The number of local newspapers has fallen, and many communities have lost their only local news source.
Some local news outlets have adapted and survived, but overall the trend is troubling. A range of stakeholders have committed funding to address the crisis in local journalism, but those efforts have not kept pace with what is being lost.
A growing number of local digital news outlets are filling the void left by declining newspaper sales and closures. But these newer ventures face significant hurdles to achieving financial sustainability and scale. Most are clustered near larger metro areas where they can access investor and philanthropic capital. They are also often saddled with low internet speeds, making it harder to reach rural and underserved communities.
In addition to a steady diet of national and state news, Americans rely on local news for a wide range of everyday information, including traffic alerts, school closings, and weather reports. Majorities of Americans say they get news at least sometimes about each of these topics, although weather is the most followed local topic by far. And when it comes to civic information about local government, crime and the economy, Americans value their local news sources more than they do national sources.
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