Local news is an important part of American society. It nurtures grassroots democracy and social cohesion. It serves as a watchdog for local leaders and provides citizens with essential information about their communities. And it is a major source of economic vitality in many small towns and rural communities. But, over the past two decades, thousands of local news outlets have closed and countless more are shrinking. This is a national crisis that requires a multifaceted response by government officials at the state and federal levels, community leaders, civic-minded individuals and business executives.
Fortunately, innovative digital and for-profit ventures are pursuing viable business and journalistic models that can sustain local journalism in many communities. However, most of these new outlets are concentrated in more affluent suburban and urban neighborhoods, and their reach is limited. In contrast, poorer rural and suburban communities remain at higher risk of losing their local news sources and may be overlooked by investors, philanthropists and entrepreneurs who seek to fund alternative news sources.
Americans say local news does the best job of promoting positive stories in their communities, holding leaders accountable and keeping residents informed about public affairs. They also rank local news as the most reliable source of information compared with social media, community-based apps and word of mouth. These findings are consistent across political partisanship and age groups.
Most people who get local news still do so through newspapers, but a larger share now access these outlets digitally, such as on websites, apps or via email or social media. This shift toward digital is a major reason why more people are satisfied with their local news than in 2018. Still, fewer than half of those who consume daily newspaper news say they are extremely or very satisfied with their local coverage.