The local news that people consume has a profound impact on their sense of community identity. Whether through a newspaper, radio or television, local news reinforces a connection to a place and encourages civic engagement. Local news is about more than the weather and traffic; it’s about a place’s values, culture and concerns.
Despite the decline of print, most Americans still get local news regularly, though they do so in different ways. Some read daily newspapers, while others rely on local TV news for information about their town and neighborhood. The majority of those who follow local news report that they do so because it helps them understand their community and its issues.
The most common source of local news is the newspaper. But local papers have struggled in the face of economic pressures and media consolidation. This has led to a loss of market share for local papers, and the consolidation of broadcasting companies has also contributed to a reduction in the number of local news outlets. The loss of local newspapers has left many communities without a dedicated source for information about their government and business.
Amid this backdrop, some philanthropists are taking action to build a more financially sustainable and journalistically sound ecosystem of local journalism. These efforts include boosting support for local nonprofit news organizations and building networks of local journalism collaboratives. Some examples of these efforts can be seen in Youngstown, Ohio, where for-profit and nonprofit ventures have moved in to take up the slack left when The Vindicator closed.
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