When it comes to local news, most Americans say they’re satisfied with the coverage. However, the quality of local journalism is slipping. Many local outlets are either going out of business or consolidating their operations to survive. The result is an erosion of local diversity in opinion and perspective that’s affecting the health of the local news ecosystem.
Across the country, residents in more than half of all counties have only a single source of local news. In most of those counties, the primary source is a small daily or weekly newspaper owned by a large chain, which covers everything from town council meetings and high school sports to events that may have regional ramifications. In other counties, the only source of local news is a digital-only site, an ethnic media outlet or a public broadcasting station.
Consolidation in the newspaper industry has led to the disappearance of many local independent newspapers, and even some well-established chains have reduced their number of local publications. Some of the smallest newspapers are struggling to survive with no local journalists on staff at all. A review by the Local News Initiative of the 70 smallest newspapers in the Lee and Gannett chains found that three dozen had no local reporters at all, while a larger survey conducted for the LJI found that 65% of those local papers have fewer than five local journalists on staff.
A number of local nonprofits are working to fill the gap. They rely on subscription and membership revenue to supplement their grant or advertising income. Those that focus on statewide issues (such as Carolina Public Press and Benito Link) or are located in major cities are more likely to be financially stable, as they can appeal to a wider group of foundations and individual donors for funding.