Local news refers to the full collection of communication outlets – newspapers, radio stations and hyperlocal websites – that tell a community’s stories. Local journalism is informed by the community’s perspective and meets its critical information needs. It invites citizen engagement in every way possible, including writing and sharing articles, reading, watching and joining public debate.
This collection of local news outlets is the backbone of our democracy. Yet today they face major challenges. Revenues are plummeting as advertising dollars shift to digital platforms. The decline of newspaper readership has reduced revenue and audience size, leading to cuts in staff and diminished coverage of important community issues. In addition, the federal government has cut funding to local media through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, leaving hundreds of public media stations at risk.
Local television is another key source of local news. But the recent consolidation of local broadcasting markets has increased the likelihood that local news may disappear, even in larger markets where it remains strong. In smaller markets, the ability of large media conglomerates to control many television stations in the same market has greatly decreased the number of local news programs available.
The same trend has been seen in local radio. As the local news landscape has changed, public radio has remained an important source of locally produced news in many communities. In fact, in some counties – mostly rural ones – public media is the sole source of local news.
