Read below to learn more about the value of local news.
Nearly 1,800 newsrooms have shuttered across the US since 2004, leaving many communities unseen, unheard and in the dark. In this passionate talk and rallying cry, journalist Chuck Plunkett explains why he rebelled against his employer to raise awareness for an industry under threat of extinction -- and makes the case for local news as an essential part of any healthy democracy.READ MORE
One of the most prominent attempts, in Haverhill, Mass., is shutting down before ever launching. But its chief booster keeps hope alive.READ MORE
Companies like Google and Facebook left the local news industry in shambles. Are they really the best ones to save it?READ MORE
Like many local and regional newspapers, The Northeast Georgian of Cornelia, Ga., makes little money when its work is shared on big websites like Google and Facebook.READ MORE
From our very beginnings as a nation, newspapers have played a vital role in building community. Strong newspapers fostered a sense of geographic identity and in the process nurtured social cohesion and grassroots political activism. The stories and editorials they published helped set the agenda for debate of important issues, influence the policy and political decisions we made, and build trust in our institutions. The advertisements they carried drove local commerce and regional economic growth by putting potential customers together with local businesses. Ron Heifetz, professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, describes a newspaper as “an anchor” because it “reminds a community every day of its collective identity, the stake we have in one another and the lessons of our history. “READ MORE
Anyone who’s worried about the state of local journalism faces a conundrum. On the one hand, good local news coverage brings big societal benefits, as multiple studies have found. When newspapers shrink or close, voter turnout and civic engagement tend to decline, while political corruption and polarization rise. Even I — a journalist, obviously — have been surprised by the magnitude of these findings.READ MORE
The loss of local news coverage in much of the United States has frayed communities and left many Americans woefully uninformed, according to a new report.READ MORE
First they started showing up thinner than before. Then they were printed on smaller paper, with local columns replaced by more out-of-town news. Then in some places, especially rural and down-on-their-luck parts, newspapers stopped showing up altogether.READ MORE
