Between 2005 and the start of the pandemic, about 2,100 local newspapers across America shutdown. Many papers that did not close altogether became hollowed-out shells of their former selves. Sadly, where local newspapers wane, government corruption increases, and conspiracy theories become more prevalent.
The Pew Research Center found that the American newspaper industry shed 57% of its workers between 2008 and 2020. Some papers became “ghost papers”, bearing the old, revered name, but providing less original reporting and coverage. Some areas have become “news deserts”—where no coverage exists. Sadly, studies have shown that where local coverage fizzles, people are less likely to vote, or are more likely to vote along party lines. Less coverage also means more political corruption. As Mark Brown, general manager of the Youngstown Vindicator, put it: When a reporter covers a municipal board meeting, the politicians “behave.” The principal reason cited for the decline is that young people receive their news from digital sources (though even some of these are struggling), and the on-line portal Craig’s List has taken away much advertising revenue.
Nation-states work on information. Democracies, in particular, rely on an informed citizenry. Local news is needed to inform that citizenry. People need to vote on real issues, not hearsay, lies, and rumors. Says Timothy Snyder, Yale history professor says, “The only way we can talk to other people is with some common understanding of the facts…When local news goes away, then our sense of what is true shifts from what is helpful to what makes us feel good.”
Local news will need to adapt to stay alive. Partnering with major investigative firms, such as ProPublica, is increasing. In Pennsylvania, several papers team with Spotlight PA to receive statehouse coverage; in Chicago, the Tribune, the Sun-Times, and WBEZ radio are combining their newsrooms. Some digital outlets are getting help through non-profit organizations such as the American Journalism Project. Congress is even considering a bill that would provide grants to keep local reporters on the payroll. Local news is essential for a democracy to work—finding ways to keep it vibrant is a priority.
Sources:
WP Magazine, 5 Dec 2021, p4.
Photo: Newsdesert.com
No responses yet