The last two decades have seen a dramatic decline in local newsrooms, whether in communities that lost their newspaper for the first time or in towns that were never well served by local media. This loss has taken a toll on democracy: researchers have documented increased polarization, more government corruption, fewer people running for office or attending public meetings about community issues, lower rates of voting and declining senses of belonging in places where local news is scarcer.
Despite this bleak picture, many Americans see value in local news: Most say that their local news outlets are important to their community and they consider the performance of their local journalists to be good. Some, but a smaller majority than in 2018, also say that their local news media are doing very or somewhat well financially.
Television remains a popular local news source. In 2024, more than half of those who get local news do so from TV — either via a traditional television set or digitally on websites, apps or social media. This figure includes those who get local news from the traditional daily newspaper but also those who watch their locally aired network news or digital versions of their favorite local TV station.
A range of entrepreneurs is attempting to fill the void left by disappearing local newspapers, often using innovative business models and new forms of online distribution. The hope is that these innovations will replant the local news tree. Supportive government policies can make it more likely that the replanting is successful.
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