As local newsrooms struggle to find the resources to tell complex stories that require substantial reporting, innovative strategies are emerging to ensure that local stories continue to be reported and distributed. These examples demonstrate the power of collaboration, community engagement and national-local partnerships to support a robust local journalism ecosystem.
Local news is essential to a healthy democracy. It helps citizens understand what’s at stake in local elections, equips them to engage in the political process by voting and contacting their representatives, reduces political polarization and holds government accountable. Research shows that people who have access to local news are more likely to vote and to trust the information they receive from their local media.
When the small town of Eudora, Kansas lost its local newspaper, it became a verifiable “news desert.” But instead of giving up on their hometown, Eudora’s community members joined forces with a University of Kansas journalism class to fill the gap. The result: The online news website The Eudora Times. The team of student journalists reports on local town issues and public service announcements — topics that don’t often make it into the wheelhouse of city dailies or even into the wheelhouse of many public radio stations.
While we’ve seen an unprecedented decline in the number of local newspapers, there are still at least 1,800 communities that have no local daily news or whose newsrooms are less than half the size they once were. We’re working to change that, with the help of our supporters – you can join us.