Local news has long been the place where people turn for information about their communities and the issues that affect them. Year after year, people tell pollsters they are satisfied with their local news and feel connected to their community because of it.
Despite its prominence, however, local news is in trouble. As a result of mergers, consolidation, and cuts, many independent local newspapers and broadcasters have shut their doors or struggled to survive. The loss of local journalism threatens the civic engagement that underpins our democracy.
Filling the Local News Void
Some funders have taken a new approach by creating networks and collaboratives to support local news. Examples include Solutions Journalism Network, which helps local media producers explore and share evidence-based stories that focus on solutions to the problems in their communities. A similar effort is taking shape in Philadelphia, where a coalition of national and local foundations has committed to supporting a sustainable local news collaborative, backed by the Lenfest Institute.
The challenge is to shift the culture of giving away money for local news so that it moves beyond an opportunity to profit media companies and hedge funds to one of ensuring people have access to the stories they need to thrive. That shift starts with a recognition that without reporters to keep an eye on corrupt city hall, on questionable police practices and on shady business deals, communities suffer.
In a time of rapid and tectonic shifts, a steady flow of reliable, trusted local news has never been more important. The vanishing local news void is a problem we cannot afford to ignore.
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