Local news plays a vital role in communities. It informs residents about their local governments, schools and businesses; connects them to the community’s values, culture and history; and encourages civic engagement. It also serves as a watchdog, holding local leaders accountable and providing a forum for civil discussion. But, in recent decades, many local news outlets have closed and the number of journalists has dropped faster than coal mining, fishing or steel production. In fact, around 1,300 communities have lost their local newspapers and thousands more are served by newsrooms that are half their size.
Despite these challenges, most Americans continue to value local news and have positive views of their local news media. A majority says that their local news outlets do well in several aspects, including reporting the news accurately. And a larger share of Democrats than Republicans say their local news media are in touch with their community.
People get local news in many ways – most often, from daily newspapers (58% in 2024), though a large share also gets it from websites or apps, email newsletters and social media sites or posts. More than half get it from local TV (53%) and a smaller share from online news organizations, such as Nextdoor or Facebook groups.
Rather than focus solely on saving traditional newspapers, policymakers should consider how to foster healthy local news ecosystems. Some policy proposals are more directly related to this goal than others, such as implementing a refundable tax credit for local news (similar to those in France and Canada) or changing how advertising is sold on digital platforms to better support local journalism.
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