Local news is a lifeline for communities, promoting accountability and transparency, connecting people, and fostering civic engagement. But it has taken a beating in the digital era, with advertising revenue cratering and private equity decimating once-profitable newsrooms.
In the past decade, thousands of local newspapers have closed and many others have slashed their editorial staffs and refocused on business and sports coverage to boost subscriptions. Despite these challenges, for-profit and nonprofit ventures continue to emerge that offer promising economic and journalistic models.
These organizations, including community-based nonprofits and repurposed newspaper sites, use a variety of reporting approaches to attract attention and engage local communities. And some employ alternative storytelling techniques, such as solutions journalism and restorative narratives, to promote accountability and build trust.
The good news is that the vast majority of Americans continue to get local news, and they are generally satisfied with the coverage they receive. Those who turn to local TV, newspapers and radio for their news say that these outlets do the best job of keeping them informed, holding leaders accountable and amplifying stories in their community compared to social media and word-of-mouth sources.
TV remains a primary source of local news, and in 2022, audiences remained stable for most local TV companies. But the industry faces a host of challenges, from the continuing fall in advertising revenues to the rise of right-wing national broadcasting companies that prioritize divisive and partisan content in their morning network newscasts.
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