Local news is the reporting of events, issues and concerns that affect a particular community or geographic area. It is vital to a healthy democracy, fostering civic engagement by informing residents about government actions and decisions, enabling them to identify community needs and issues and hold officials accountable. Local news is also important to community identity, helping people feel connected to one another and the places they live.
Many local newspapers have closed and the remaining ones are struggling financially. Competition from social media and other digital platforms has eroded their audiences. Local journalism needs to adapt by embracing digital strategies while maintaining journalistic integrity. The success of these efforts will be critical for the survival of local news and the health of local news ecosystems.
Despite the dire state of local journalism, there are signs of hope. For example, a philanthropic investment in a collaborative reporting project on the experiences of citizens returning from prison sparked interest in local journalism and helped to elevate communities’ voices. The growing body of research on the impact of local news suggests that a healthy local news ecosystem benefits both communities and the health of the nation’s democracy. Local news provides essential civic information that helps voters make informed choices at the ballot box, reduces political polarization and improves government accountability. While much of the attention to the decline of local news has focused on saving traditional newspapers, a range of other sources provide vital local information—including public radio, local television stations and digital-only start-ups.
